Brush-tailed rock kangaroo
| Brush-tailed rock kangaroo | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brush-tailed rock kangaroo |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Petrogale penicillata | ||||||||||||
| ( Gray , 1827) |
The brush-tailed rock kangaroo ( Petrogale penicillata ), also known as the brush- tailed rock kangaroo or brush-tailed kangaroo , belongs to the genus of rock kangaroos ( Petrogale ).
Appearance
The animals reach a body length of 50 to 60 centimeters, a tail length of around 60 cm and a weight of 3 to 9 kilograms. The fur of these kangaroos is reddish brown to brown in color. The tail and the legs as well as the chest and the head are colored black-brown in most animals.
Occurrence
The rock kangaroo species is native to Australia . It occurs particularly in the states of Victoria , Queensland and New South Wales . The brush-tailed rock kangaroo also became native to islands in the Hauraki Gulf ( New Zealand ) and to the Hawaiian island of Oahu .
food
The diet consists of 35 to 50% grass , smaller proportions are made up of seeds, leaves, roots, ferns, herbs, tree bark and fruits.
Reproduction
The wearing time is on average 31 days. The female usually gives birth to a single cub, which then remains in the pouch for about 29 weeks. The females are sexually mature at 18 months, males at 20 months.
Danger
The brush-tailed rock kangaroo is listed as endangered by the IUCN . The most important sources of danger today are the mammals introduced by humans: Red foxes hunt kangaroos, and sheep, goats and rabbits eat away at the vegetation.
Biologists from the University and Adelaide Zoo are trying to have brushtail embryos carried to term by yellow-footed rock kangaroo foster mothers. This should make the females ready for a new pregnancy earlier.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Baby robbery for a good cause . In: Die Welt , February 25, 2010. Retrieved July 24, 2011.