NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Kangaroo Island Dunnart
Sminthopsis aitkeni Kitchener, Stoddart & Henry, 1984
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Kangaroo Island dunnart (Sminthopsis aitkeni) is a dark sooty-grey coloured dunnart species first described in 1969, with paler underparts of its body. It has an average body length of 170–198 mm (6.7–7.8 in), a snout to anus length of 80–93 mm (3.1–3.7 in), a tail measurement of 90–105 mm (3.5–4.1 in), a hind foot of 17.5 mm (0.69 in), ear length of 18 mm (0.71 in) and a weight of 20–25 grams (0.71–0.88 oz). The thin tail is also gray, but lighter on the bottom. The tail is longer than the body. Kangaroo Island dunnarts are dimorphic, with males larger than females.
The Kangaroo Island dunnart is listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The population was believed to be less than 500 before the 2019–2020 Australian bushfires. Following the fires, it is believed that only about 50 individuals exist.
Wikipedia contributors, Kangaroo Island dunnart; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T10:11:16.534329+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Sminthopsis aitkeni Kitchener, Stoddart & Henry, 1984
- Name authority
- Kitchener, Stoddart & Henry, 1984
- Common name
- Kangaroo Island Dunnart
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Dasyuromorphia
- Family
- Dasyuridae
- Genus
- Sminthopsis
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassMetatheria Huxley, 1880
- orderDasyuromorphia Gill, 1872
- familyDasyuridae Goldfuss, 1820
- subfamilySminthopsinae Archer, 1982
- genusSminthopsis Thomas, 1887
- speciesSminthopsis aitkeni Kitchener, Stoddart & Henry, 1984
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Sminthopsis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Fat-tailed DunnartSminthopsis crassicaudata (Gould, 1844) | DasyuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Little Long-tailed DunnartSminthopsis dolichura Kitchener, Stoddart & Henry, 1984 | DasyuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Julia Creek DunnartSminthopsis douglasi Archer, 1979 | DasyuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| White-tailed DunnartSminthopsis granulipes Troughton, 1932 | DasyuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Gray-bellied DunnartSminthopsis griseoventer Kitchener, Stoddart & Henry, 1984 | DasyuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Greater Hairy-footed DunnartSminthopsis hirtipes Thomas, 1898 | DasyuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| White-footed DunnartSminthopsis leucopus (Gray, 1842) | DasyuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Common DunnartSminthopsis murina (Waterhouse, 1838) | DasyuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Ooldea DunnartSminthopsis ooldea Troughton, 1965 | DasyuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Chestnut DunnartSminthopsis archeri Van Dyck, 1986 | DasyuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Kakadu DunnartSminthopsis bindi Van Dyck, Woinarski & Press, 1994 | DasyuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Butler's DunnartSminthopsis butleri Archer, 1979 | DasyuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=552634 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4XWYZ. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.