Thin-tailed sleeper
| Thin-tailed sleeper | ||||||||||||
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Thin-tailed sleeping bag ( Cercartetus concinnus ) |
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| Cercartetus concinnus | ||||||||||||
| ( Gould , 1845) |
The thin-tailed sleep-pouch ( Cercartetus concinnus ), also known as the southwestern sleep- pouch , is a small marsupial native to Australia. Genetic studies show that it is a closest relative of the thick-tailed sleeper ( C. nanus ) and that their common ancestor lived around eight million years ago.
description
In contrast to its gray relatives from the genus Cercartetus , the thin-tailed sleeping bag has a light, cinnamon-colored back. The ventral side is completely white, which also distinguishes it from its relatives. The fur is a little darker in front of the eyes. It has large oval ears, large eyes and long whiskers . The tail is long, more striped than the body and is used as a grasping organ. They have opposable toes on the hind feet. All four feet have sturdy pads on the tips of the toes.
Compared to other possum species , the thin-tailed sleeping bag is one of the smallest. Adults reach a body length of 5.7 to 7.2 cm with a 7.7 to 8.7 cm long tail. The body weight of adult animals is about 8 to 21 g. The females have a well-developed pouch that is open towards the head and contains six teats. With a length of 1.2 cm, the tongue is unusually long for such a small animal.
distribution and habitat
The thin- tailed sleepbaggers occur irregularly in the southwest of Western Australia as well as in the grain belt in southern Australia, on Kangaroo Island and in Victoria in the south of Edenhope. It has also been spotted in the distant southwestern New South Wales and is one of the endangered species there. It inhabits semi-arid forest and scrubland dominated by plants such as bush chestnuts, myrtle heather , banksia and grevillea . There used to be two subspecies, which were separated from each other by the Nullarbor Plain . Genetic studies, however, did not reveal a clear difference between the eastern and western populations. The species is no longer native to the Nullarbor Plain, but there are fossil finds that confirm this.
Behavior and nutrition
The thin-tailed sleeping bag is a loner and nocturnal. During the day they hide in tree holes or natural crevices, bird nests or dense vegetation. At night they are looking for food or a partner. Typically they hike around 50 m every day (night) and visit different areas over the course of a year, depending on the local plant resources. They spend most of their time in the trees and use their prey paws and prehensile tail to hold on, collect nesting material, or open flowers to drink the nectar. They make a quick rattling sound.
They feed mainly on nectar and pollen, especially on plants like the myrtle heather and eucalyptus, and play a role in pollen transmission. As a supplement, they also sometimes eat insects. Natural enemies are pouch martens, snakes, owls and, since the colonization, also red foxes and domestic cats.
Parapholis-cercartetus are able, in a sleep state to fall when the weather is too cold and rough. This allows them to save energy and feed reserves. During the rigidity, which can last a maximum of seven days, the body temperature drops to the ambient temperature and the oxygen consumption is only 1% of normal consumption. They sleep on their stomachs with their ears folded over their eyes and their tails rolled up under their bodies. Compared to other mammals of the same size, they awaken from their rigidity much faster.
Reproduction
The thin-tailed sleepbaggers give birth to 4 to 6 young and can reproduce all year round, but this usually occurs in spring. The mother often carries more than 6 embryos in her womb at the same time. But since she only has 6 teats and marsupials suck on one teat for a long time, the maximum number of young she can raise is 6. Sometimes, after the mother has weaned a young, she gives birth to a new one after a few days . This means a large change in the size of their teats to allow the tiny newborn to drink. The mammary glands then first produce the so-called first milk ( colostrum ). When the pups leave the pouch, they are still blind and around 25 days old. They initially remain in the nest, but are completely weaned at around 50 days. Females reach sexual maturity at around 12–15 months.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Systematics and biogeography of pygmy possums (Burramyidae: Cercartetus). In: www.academia.edu. Retrieved April 6, 2016 .
- ↑ a b A.JL Pestell, SJB Cooper, K. Saint, S. Petit: Genetic structure of the western pygmy possum, Cercartetus concinnus Gould (Marsupialia: Burramyidae) based on mitochondrial DNA . In: Australian Mammalogy . tape 29 , no. 2 , January 1, 2007, p. 191-200 ( csiro.au [accessed April 6, 2016]).
- ↑ a b c d A field guide to the mammals of Australia / Peter Menkhorst, Frank Knight - details. In: Trove. Retrieved April 6, 2016 .
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Jamie M. Harris: Cercartetus concinnus (Diprotodontia: Burramyidae) . In: Mammalian Species . tape 831 , May 27, 2009, p. 1–11 , doi : 10.1644 / 831.1 ( oxfordjournals.org [accessed April 6, 2016]). Cercartetus concinnus (Diprotodontia: Burramyidae) ( Memento of the original from April 6, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service: Western pygmy-possum ( Cercartetus concinnus ) approved recovery plan . Retrieved June 10, 2011.
- ^ AJL Pestell, S. Petit: Diet of the western pygmy possum, Cercartetus concinnus Gould (Marsupialia: Burramyidae), at Innes National Park, South Australia, and evaluation of diet sampling methods . In: Australian Journal of Zoology . tape 55 , no. 5 , January 1, 2008, p. 275-284 , doi : 10.1071 / ZO07037 .
- ^ Fritz Geiser: Hibernation and Daily Torpor in Two Pygmy Possums (Cercartetus Spp., Marsupialia) . In: Physiological Zoology . tape 60 , no. 1 , January 1, 1987, p. 93-102 , JSTOR : 30158631 .
- ^ Simon J. Ward: Numbers of Teats and Pre- and Post-Natal Litter Sizes in Small Diprotodont Marsupials . In: Journal of Mammalogy . tape 79 , no. 3 , January 1, 1998, pp. 999-1008 , doi : 10.2307 / 1383108 .
