Fig. 11.9.

A species currently rated as Least Concern by the IUCN is Rory’s Pseudantechinus (Pseudantechinus roryi). This is not to say the species does not suffer from the usual threats of habitat disturbance and feral predators, but rather that its overall status is deemed secure at present. The genus Pseudantechinus is undergoing taxonomic revision and Rory’s Pseudantechinus may ultimately be considered a western variant and synonymised within the species, Fat-tailed Pseudantechinus (P. macdonnellensis). Such taxonomic changes mean that the conservation status of various species need to be reassessed. In the case of these pseudantechinus species it results in an increased distributional range, which is likely to make the species more secure. However, the opposite can also occur. Consider the antechinuses (Antechinus) and monito del montes (Dromiciops), both of which have recently been revised and contain new species with more limited distributions that require listing. Source: Jiri Lochman.