[3] They are marsupial carnivores, closely related to the Tasmanian devil and the quolls, that live in deserts and spinifex grasslands of arid Australia.

Their kidneys are highly developed to excrete extremely concentrated urine to preserve water, as the animals rarely drink.

[5] A long history of confusion exists when classifying mulgaras, and only recently has confidence in the taxonomy of the species been gained.

The crest-tailed mulgara has a crest of long black hairs on the upper side of the distal end of the tail, although this feature is present in D. cristicauda, D. archeri, D. hillieri and D.

[2] The brush-tailed mulgara has a brush of black hairs along the final two-thirds of the tail, though this is now no longer considered a unique feature.