top of the head and 11–13 mm in length; the tip of the short snout is closer to the eyes than the ears. Their tail is relatively thick and short, from 55 to 75 mm, sometimes swollen toward the base and tapers to a length not greater than two-thirds of the body length. Kaluta has hind feet that measure 15–18 mm long and covered in fur. The little red kaluta feeds on insects and small vertebrates. A notable habit is flicking its tail in the air as it investigates its habitat. Male little red kalutas, like several other dasyurid species, die shortly after the September breeding season, probably due to stress. The young are born after a pregnancy of around seven weeks, and are weaned when around four months old. Habitat and behaviour The little red kaluta is moderately common in the Pilbara, the west of the Little Sandy Desert and parts of the Carnarvon Basin in Western Australia. The distribution range is restricted to this subtropical environment, where they inhabit hummocks of Triodia, the dominant vegetation of spinifex grasslands. Kaluta live and forage on the sandy soil of the region, searching for invertebrate prey amongst the dense and tough mounds of spinifex. References External links Dasykaluta rosamondae (in Dutch) Mammals described in 1964 Dasyuromorphs Mammals of Western Australia