Dark kusimanse
| Dark kusimanse | ||||||||||||
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Dark kusimanse ( Crossarchus obscurus ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Crossarchus obscurus | ||||||||||||
| FG Cuvier , 1825 |
The dark kusimanse ( Crossarchus obscurus ) is a species of predator from the mongoose family (Herpestidae). It can weigh up to 1 kilogram, has a dark, shaggy coat and lives in western Africa . It is the best-studied of the four species of cusimans .
features
Dark kusimansen reach a head body length of 30 to 37 centimeters, in addition there is a 15 to 21 centimeter long tail. The weight is 0.45 to 1 kilogram. Your physique is slim and elongated, and your legs are relatively short. There is no significant sexual dimorphism , the sexes are the same size. Their relatively short tail tapers evenly towards the tip. As with all Kusimansen, the front and rear paws have five toes with non-retractable claws. The claws of the front paws are longer than those of the hind paws. The soles of the hind paws are hairless with the exception of the rear third.
Their shaggy fur is usually dark brown to black, and its coloration is variable in individual animals. The undercoat is light, the outer hair is brown and ends in a light point, which gives it a grayish appearance. The hair on the head and face is shorter and lighter than on the rest of the body, while the legs are colored black-brown. The top hairs on the neck measure around 10 to 15 millimeters long and get longer towards the back, on the trunk they can be up to 35 millimeters long. Both sexes have paired anal glands , and there are also scent glands on the cheek. The females have three pairs of teats .
As with all Kusimansen, the head is characterized by the elongated snout, the tip of the nose lies clearly in front of the mouth. The small, round ears can be closed, the pupils of the eyes are horizontally oval. The senses of hearing, smell and sight are well developed. The tooth formula is I 3/3 - C 1 / 1- P 3 / 3- M 2/2, a total of 36 teeth.
distribution and habitat
Dark Kusimansen live in western Africa , their range is separated from that of the other Kusimansen by the Dahomey Gap . Their occurrence extends from southwestern Guinea via Sierra Leone , Liberia and the Ivory Coast to Ghana . Their habitat is mostly the dense undergrowth of rain and riparian forests , in the Ivory Coast they also inhabit savannas . They occur from sea level up to 1500 meters above sea level.
Way of life
Dark kusimansen are predominantly diurnal, although nocturnal activities have also been observed. They live in groups of up to 20 or more animals that roam their territory . The groups are probably composed of one to three families, consisting of a monogamous couple and the young from the last two to three litters. The animals have no fixed burrows, but sleep in caves in the earth, in hollow tree trunks or in dense vegetation. Sometimes they dig their own burrows - in termite mounds , for example - or sleep in the branches.
The social behavior is pronounced, both in the wild and in captivity, the animals often play with each other. Both sexes mark the territory with the secretion of their anal and cheek glands. The anal gland secretions of the males and the females differ significantly from each other. They have a sophisticated sound repertoire, group members communicate with each other with chirps and purrs. Occasionally there is also aggression between conspecifics, the animals straighten their hair, hunch their backs and stretch their limbs.
The natural enemies of the dark kusimansen include various predators and birds of prey such as the crowned eagle . Animals in captivity are known to sometimes attack domestic dogs that were significantly larger than themselves.
nutrition
Foraging is done either alone or in groups. They roam around the ground, turn stones or pieces of wood over and rummage through the leaves lying on the ground with their long snouts and dig up prey with their front paws. Their diet consists of invertebrates such as snails , earthworms , spiders , crabs , woodlice , millipedes and various insects such as jumping fries , cockroaches and beetles and their larvae. But they also eat vertebrates such as frogs , snakes , lizards , birds and their eggs as well as mammals up to the size of a cane rat . Fruits and berries complete the menu. Small vertebrates are killed with a bite in the neck. There have been isolated reports of throwing eggs with their front paws through their hind legs at a stone or rock to break the shell.
Reproduction
The reproduction of the dark kusimansen has so far only been researched in animals in human care. The females are polyestrial , they have several cycles per year. The ovulation is induced by copulation, a seasonality of reproduction is unknown. The male initiates copulation by first placing his front paws on the female's pelvic region, then gripping the female's neck and beginning coitus.
After a gestation period of 58 days on average, two to four (usually four) young animals are born, the female can have up to three litters per year. The newborns measure around 12 to 13 millimeters and their undercoat is already there. The eyes are initially closed and open at around 12 days of age. The young animals are weaned at around three weeks. Sexual maturity occurs at around nine months. Life expectancy in human care is around nine years.
Dark kusimansen and humans
Dark kusimansen are easy to tame and are occasionally kept as pets . The species is common in the wild, but is hunted intensively in certain areas or is torn by domestic dogs. Apart from that, no major threats are known, the species is also found in several protected areas. The IUCN lists the dark kisser as "not endangered" ( least concern ).
literature
- JS Gilchrist, AP Jennings, G. Veron, P. Cavallini: Family Herpestidae (Mongooses). In: Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier (eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 1: Carnivores. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2009, ISBN 978-84-96553-49-1 , pp. 262-329.
- Corey A. Goldman: Crossarchus obscurus . In: Mammalian Species . Vol. 290, 1987, pp. 1-5 ( PDF ).
Web links
- Crossarchus obscurus onthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . Retrieved October 20, 2009.