Rediscovery of the Large Desert Sminthopsis 

 (Sminthopsis psammophilus SpencerJ 

 on Eyre Peninsula, South Australia 



by Pkti r F Ai iki s 



1 N TRODL't HON 



SftiittHwpttS iniimnu>i)liiliis, The 

 large Desert Smintliopsis, (Plate I) 

 was originally described from a 

 unique specimen laken in 

 amongst porcupine grass tussocks on 

 ,hc sand-ridge desert near Fake 

 \niadciis tit the Northern Territory 

 of Australia. The single example 

 was captured by Mounted Trooper 

 | C Cowle, then stationed at the 

 lllaniuria Police Post, and presented 

 14 members oi the Horn Scientific 

 I xpcdition to C entral Australia, foi 

 uhom he was acting as guide. Subse- 

 quently in 1 89 5. the specimen was 

 described as a new species by Sir 

 VV. Baldwin Spencer, then Professor 

 q| Zooloc> at Melbourne University 

 | oi 7S years no further example was 

 discovered and the species was feared 

 M be exliiict. 



Kt DIM lAFRV 



On 2S February. a second 



specimen was captured by Mr Mcr 

 vyn Andiews. a cereal farmer, on 

 his propei t> at Section 10. Hundred 

 of Mamhlyn. Fyre Peninsula. South 

 Australia; approximately 650 miles 



il -casi of the Type locality. The 



capture area, situated in a /one of 

 1 2- M inch rainlall, feaiuies a topo- 

 craphy o( roughly parallel sand- 

 dunes, between 20 and 40 feet m 

 heiuhl, separated by wide mterdune 

 valleys OiiiMiiully the system bad a 

 tank uniform kmenlij; of mullcc- 

 hu.u'mbiisli vegetation with sparse 



April. 1971 



ground cover. Malices ( t:nrulyi>lii\ 

 spp, ) tended to predominate in the 

 \ alley Mats, but became more heavily 

 admixed wnh broomhush (Mela- 

 leuca iimimiui), plus other herba- 

 ceous and ephemeral plants, on the 

 dunes. I:\arnples ol native chciiv 

 </;.iohu/>iiy SpHfUUi] and native pine 

 (Callnii.\ ttaneseaa} occurred spora- 

 dically throughout, and semi-open 

 areas ot porcupine giass ( I riinlm 

 lunula ) appeared intermittently on 

 the dune slopes. In recent years 

 however, considerable acreages of 

 natural scrub have been cleared 

 from the intcr-dunc valleys and the 

 land developed lor cereal growing. 

 I he sand-dune vegeutuon. on the 

 other hand, has remained largely in- 

 tact, or has been permitted to re- 

 generate following initial logging and 

 binning activities 



The Large Desert Sminthopsis was 

 taken in daylight, while escaping from 

 a blazing porcupine grass tussock, 

 growing at the base ot a re-vegetated 

 dune adjacent to a cleared inter- 

 dune valley. Clearing of both dune 

 and valley had been completed 3 

 vctrs previously, but Ihe developed 

 valley paddock had remained fallow 

 dining this period. The capture spot 

 was at the extreme corner of the 

 ji.^Mock. which itself represented the 

 limn ot clearing leu yards beyond. 

 Ihe dune vegetation continued m a 

 virgin slate .aid the inter dune \alky 

 remained uncleared, although the 



.s.m.im fcvHMitt Miaeuti.. 



103 



