Red rat kangaroo
| Red rat kangaroo | ||||||||||||
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Red rat kangaroo ( Aepyprymnus rufescens ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Aepyprymnus | ||||||||||||
| Garrod , 1875 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Aepyprymnus rufescens | ||||||||||||
| ( Gray , 1837) |
The red rat kangaroo ( Aepyprymnus rufescens ) is a species of marsupial from the rat kangaroo family (Potoroidae). It is the largest and at the same time the most widespread representative of his family.
description
Compared to the other rat kangaroos, the skulls of these animals are rather broad and short, the hind legs, as with almost all rat kangaroos, are significantly shorter than those of the actual kangaroos . The front paws have claws that are used to dig up food. The fur of these animals is gray on the upper side, often with a reddish sheen, the underside is lighter, almost whitish. Characteristic are the pointed ears, the back of which is hairy black. Red rat kangaroos reach a head body length of 38 to 52 centimeters and a weight of up to 3.5 kilograms, whereby the females are significantly heavier than the males.
Distribution and way of life
Red rat kangaroos are native to the east coast of Australia , their range stretched from north-east Queensland to north-east Victoria . They inhabit a number of habitats, including open forests and grasslands. They are nocturnal and rest in self-made nests during the day. These nests are cone-shaped and consist of grasses, twigs and ferns, they are mostly built in hollow tree trunks or under bushes, rarely in open terrain. An animal can have up to five such nests, which it uses over and over again.
Red rat kangaroos usually live solitary, but sometimes loose, short-lived associations of several animals without social structures occur. However, males often react extremely aggressively to their peers.
These animals are omnivores, but mainly feed on plants. They dig for roots and mushrooms with their front paws, and grasses and plant stems are also on their menu. Occasionally they also ingest insect larvae and carrion.
Reproduction
After a gestation period of around 22 to 24 days, the female usually gives birth to a single young. Newborn animals weigh around one gram and spend the first four months of life in the pouch. They then stay with their mother for around two months before they become self-employed. Sexual maturity occurs at around one year. The maximum age of an animal in human care was eight years.
threat
Red rat kangaroos are relatively common in their range. In contrast to other rat kangaroos, they are also often found near cattle pastures. They are rarer in the south - that's how they disappeared from Victoria; but generally they are not endangered species.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999 ISBN 0-8018-5789-9
Web links
- Aepyprymnus rufescens in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2013.2. Posted by: Burnett, S. & Winter, J., 2008. Retrieved January 22, 2014.