Australian rabbit rats
| Australian rabbit rats | ||||||||||||
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White-footed rabbit rat |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Conilurus | ||||||||||||
| Ogilby , 1838 |
The Australian rabbit rats ( Conilurus ) are a genus of rodents . The genus now includes only one living species, the brush- tailed rabbit rat ( Conilurus penicillatus ). A second species, the white-footed rabbit rat ( Conilurus albipes ) became extinct in the 19th century.
Features and way of life
Rabbit rats reach a head body length of 16 to 20 centimeters, in addition there is a 18 to 22 centimeter long tail. Their fur is gray-brown to dark brown on top, the belly and feet are whitish. While the white-footed rabbit rat had a soft coat, the fur of the brush-tailed rabbit rat is prickly. The ears and hind paws of these animals are relatively large.
While the brush-tailed rabbit rat lives in southern New Guinea and northern Australia , the white-footed rabbit rat was native to eastern and southern Australia. The species that is still alive today inhabits a number of habitats, such as sandy beaches and grasslands, but also forests. It is nocturnal, during the day it sleeps in self-made grass nests that it builds in tree hollows or other hiding places. At night she goes in search of food, often searching the beaches in search of flotsam.
Danger
The white-footed rabbit rat was so common in the 18th century that it often invaded barns and stables. As a crop pest, it was feared by the farmers. However, the rapid population decline began back then. At the beginning of the 19th century it was already a rarity, and nobody has seen this species since 1845. The rapid extinction remains a mystery to this day. Possible causes are competition from introduced wild rabbits , hunting by foxes and cats also brought by the whites, and infection with diseases from brown rats .
The brush-tailed rabbit rat has a fragmented range in northern Western Australia , northern Northern Territory and southern New Guinea. It is endangered by reenactment by introduced animals and habitat destruction; the IUCN lists it as " near threatened ".
Systematics
The rabbit rats are systematically part of the Pseudomys group , a diverse group of old world mice (Murinae) that live mainly in Australia .
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 2 volumes. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD et al. 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
- Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic Reference. 2 volumes. 3. Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .
