After Deadly Mating, Antechinus Morph into Cannibals, Reveals Study

Death of males potentially presents an opportunity for cheap energy gain via cannibalism for still-living male and female antechinuses.

The furry creature known as the Antechinus is a marsupial native to forested regions in eastern, south-western, and northern Australia. These animals typically consume a variety of insects and spiders, occasionally including small vertebrates such as birds, lizards, or even other mammals in their diet.

One notable characteristic of the mainland dusky antechinus (Antechinus mimetes mimetes) is its tendency to consume dead members of its own species. This behavior is observed during the breeding period, which lasts for 1-3 weeks. In an unusual reproductive strategy known as semelparity, or "suicidal reproduction," all male antechinuses die after this breeding period. While such reproductive strategies are more common in plants, invertebrates, and mammals, the annual death of males creates an opportunity for surviving males and females to gain energy through cannibalism.

Research published in the journal Australian Mammalogy indicates that cannibalistic behavior, although reported in some dasyurids (a family of marsupials), is rarely observed directly in the wild.