 In captivity males and females can survive up to five years.An arboreal species, the red-tailed phascogale has a varied diet, and can feed on insects and spiders, but also small birds and small mammals, notably the house mouse ("Mus musculus"), which has become ubiquitous in the landscape since its introduction by Europeans; it does not drink as its water is metabolised through its food.The red-tailed phascogale was formerly widespread throughout central and western Australia but is now restricted to the southern Western Australian wheatbelt, It is found in dense and tall climax vegetation, and appears to prefer those containing the Wandoo ("Eucalyptus wandoo") and the rock sheoak ("Allocasuarina huegeliana"), as it has developed a resistance to the fluoroacetate the plants produce that is lethal to livestock.