Brush-tailed Phascogale

The Brush-tailed Phascogale (Phascogale tapoatafa) is a carnivorous marsupial that is distinguished by its black bushy tail. The small mammal has a grey body and relatively large ears. The Brush-tailed Phascogale lives in low density populations within larger bushland areas. They prefer dry forests which have a relatively open understorey. They are dependent on tree hollows for breeding and shelter, particularly from predators, and prefer rough-barked tree species which are easier to climb and provide their food source of insects, spiders and occasionally nectar.

The Brush-tailed Phascogale has now been reduced to small populations which occur in the north and west of Melbourne and north of the Great Dividing Range in the Box-Ironbark region. Nillumbik Shire contains a large concentration of the species in Strathewen, St Andrews, Christmas Hills, Watsons Creek and Kangaroo Ground. The Brush-tailed Phascogale can also be found in smaller populations in Eltham, Arthurs Creek, Cottles Bridge and North Warrandyte.

The Brush-tailed Phascogale is listed under The Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 and is considered Vulnerable in Victoria. Numbers of this vulnerable species have decreased significantly due to loss of habitat and clearing of bushland areas, predation by foxes and cats, and loss of hollow bearing trees. Fragmentation and loss of habitat contributes to limiting the breeding opportunities of the species and increasing exposure to predators.