Eastern ringtail butler
| Eastern ringtail butler | ||||||||||||
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Eastern ring-tailed buccaneer ( Pseudocheirus p. Peregrinus ) near Brisbane |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Pseudocheirus peregrinus | ||||||||||||
| ( Boddaert , 1785) |
The Eastern ring-tailed buccaneer ( Pseudocheirus peregrinus ) is a species of marsupial from the family of the ring-tailed bucket (Pseudocheiridae), which occurs in four subspecies in eastern Australia and Tasmania .
- P. p. peregrinus , the nominate form , occurs from the Cape York Peninsula in the north to southeastern Queensland .
- P. p. convolutor lives on Tasmania, Cape Barren Island , Flinders Island , King Island and Maria Island .
- P. p. cookii occurs in southeastern Australia from central New South Wales to the extreme southeast of South Australia .
- P. p. pulcher occurs from southeast Queensland to central New South Wales.
description
The animals reach a head trunk length of 29 to 35 cm, have a 29 to 36 cm long tail and weigh 0.8 to 1.1 kg. The fur is variable in color and can be reddish gray ( P. p. Pulcher ) to gray-black ( P. p. Convolutor ). The ventral side and the distal part of the tail are whitish. Whitish ear tufts are also common.
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habitat
The Eastern ring-tailed buccaneer occurs in forests that are dominated by various eucalyptus . Common trees are Eucalyptus albens , E. dives , E. macrorhyncha , E. mannifera , E. melliodora , E. microcarpa , E. polyanthemos and E. radiata . The species, however, is absent in forests with E. largiflorens , E. pauciflora and E. rubida .
Way of life
Eastern ring-tailed buccaneers are nocturnal and mainly arboreal. They leave their nest in the early evening. The main activity time is before midnight. Sometimes they go to the ground in search of food or to switch from one tree to another when the canopy is not closed. The animals are primarily leaf-eaters, but feed more than other ring-baggers on fruits, flowers and leaves that do not come from eucalyptus. Leaves of the eucalyptus subgenus Monocalyptus still make up three quarters of their diet. When eating eucalyptus leaves, the animals choose younger leaves. In addition to eucalyptus leaves, those of Leptospermum and, in gardens, leaves of roses and citrus fruits are also eaten.
The population density of the animals is very different and varies from 4 specimens per hectare to 34 individual animals on the same area. The highest population densities are achieved in eucalyptus forests with a thick layer of shrubbery. There the animals are usually only 2 to 5 meters above the ground, in less optimal, more open biotopes they extend their radius of action to the middle tree heights. The living quarters of the animals are relatively small and averaged one hectare for males and 0.64 hectares for females. The territories of the males overlap with those of one or two females, but never with those of other males. Eastern ring-tailed buccaneers are probably largely solitary outside of the breeding season. During the day, Eastern ring-tailed buccaneers sleep in a nest in tree hollows or in dense vegetation that they have built from leaves, bark and ferns. Each individual uses up to five nests in their territory. Males, females and their young animals share a nest. Three females have also been seen with their young in a nest. The predatory predators that Eastern ring-tailed buccaneers catch include the giant owl , the spotted monitor , the diamond python , domestic cats and the red fox.
Reproduction
Cubs are born from April to December, most of them in May or June. Some premature females have a second litter from mid-October to November. The gestation period is specified differently with 14 to 16 days or 20 to 26 days. Females of the Eastern ring-tailed buccaneer have four teats in their pouch, but normally only two young are born. There are three or four, but they are rare. The young remain in the bag for about 120 days and are then suckled by the mother for another two to three months. Males may take part in the rearing of the young and have been observed carrying adolescent young on their backs. In addition, males were observed who stayed in the nest with the young while the female left the nest to eat. They are usually weaned at half a year old and abandoned their mother at 8 to 12 months of age. Males become sexually mature at the age of 12 to 13 months, the females can reach sexual maturity one month later. Eastern ring-tailed butlers can live to be 5 to 8 years old.
threat
The Eastern Ringelschwanzbeutler is listed as "Least Concern" by the IUCN. The range and population are relatively large. The animals are common and can also be found in numerous protected areas.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f Stephen Jackson: Family Pseudocheiridae (Ring-tailed Possums and Greater Gliders). P. 527 and 528 in Don E. Wilson , Russell A. Mittermeier : Handbook of the Mammals of the World - Volume 5. Monotremes and Marsupials. Lynx Editions, 2015, ISBN 978-84-96553-99-6
- ↑ Pseudocheirus peregrinus in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . Retrieved August 18, 2018.