Planigale petrophila is named after the rocky slopes of the Kakadu National Park,<\/a> where it is found.<\/p>\n The planigales are the world\u2019s tiniest marsupials.<\/a> Seven species were previously known in Australia and one in Papua New Guinea.<\/p>\n Researchers from the Queensland University of Technology announced the discovery on Wednesday in a study published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.<\/p>\n \u201cEarlier genetic studies suggested samples of Planigale ingrami and Planigale maculata could have been wrongly classified because they are difficult to tell apart, but have different genetics,\u201d Linette Umbrello, an author of the study, said. \u201cIn this study, we used samples from museums across Australia as an invaluable resource that allowed us to recognise species we would never detect in the wild today.\u201d<\/p>\n The researchers analysed a number of planigale specimens to see if distinct species had previously been classified as one. They found three unique forms among the P ingrami specimens. <\/p>\n \u201cWe brought back the name P subtilissima for planigales found in the Kimberley in Western Australia, which had been lumped in with P ingrami but are actually a separate species,\u201d Dr Umbrello said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe also found that the subspecies P ingrami brunnea was just part of P ingrami, so we merged it back into its former classification.\u201d<\/p>\n They also found a completely new species named P petrophila.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve discovered a new species in one of Australia\u2019s cutest and fiercest mammal<\/a> groups, planigales,\u201d Andrew Baker, another author of the study, wrote in The Conversation.<\/p>\n Unlike other small mammals that mostly eat seeds or fruits, researchers say the planigales are \u201cfierce\u201d for their size and behave like apex predators, actively stalking and hunting insects, spiders, centipedes, and other invertebrates.<\/p>\n They are small enough to fit in a human palm and weigh less than a couple of spoons of sugar. Yet, they often attack prey nearly as large as themselves, like lizards, large crickets and cockroaches.<\/p>\n![\"New](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/New-planigale-species-discovered-in-Australia.jpeg\")
New planigale species discovered in Australia (QUT)<\/p>\n