Fleckenlinsang
| Fleckenlinsang | ||||||||||||
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Fleckenlinsang ( Prionodon pardicolor ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Prionodon pardicolor | ||||||||||||
| Hodgson , 1842 |
The Fleckenlinsang ( Prionodon pardicolor ) is a species of predator from the Linsang family (Prionodontidae) living in Southeast Asia .
features
Fleckenlinsangs are elongated, long-necked animals. The basic color of their short, soft fur is light gray to reddish brown, the belly is light gray or light yellow. Five rows of dark spots are arranged in stripes along the back, and there are two dark vertical stripes on the neck. The flanks and the outside of the upper arms and thighs are dotted. The thickly hairy tail has seven to nine dark rings, it is slightly shorter than the body. The snout is pointed, the ears are rounded. The dentition is adapted to the cutting of meat and resembles a cat, the posterior molars have receded. The feet each have five toes that have retractable claws. Fleckenlinsangs reach a head body length of 31 to 45 centimeters, the tail measures 30 to 40 centimeters. The weight is 550 to 1220 grams, with the males being twice as heavy as the females.
distribution and habitat
The area of distribution of the Fleckenlinsangs stretches from Nepal and northeast India over southern China to Vietnam , Laos and Cambodia as well as in the north of Thailand . Their habitat is primarily rainforests , but they also occur in bamboo forests , gallery forests and partly in the adjacent grassland. They can be found up to 2700 meters above sea level.
Way of life
Fleckenlinsangs are predominantly nocturnal. They are excellent climbers and often hang out in the trees. They sleep there too, but keep coming back to the ground when they search for food. Presumably they live solitary. The area is marked with urine and excrement, and they rub their shoulders, neck and flanks on objects to leave their scent marks.
They are carnivores. Their diet consists of rodents , frogs , snakes and small birds , and they have reportedly also eaten carrion. Fleckenlinsangs kill smaller prey with a bite in the neck, larger prey by jumping on them, pressing them to the ground next to them, and then biting to death.
Once or twice a year, the female usually has two young animals between February and August. These are raised in a tree hollow.
Danger
Due to their shy, nocturnal way of life, there are few sightings of Fleckenlinsangs and information on the degree of danger is accordingly difficult. The main danger is the destruction of their habitat by clearing forests. In the past they were also hunted for their fur, today they are protected in large parts of their range. Until recently the species was thought to be rare, but camera traps made numerous observations that show that the species is quite common in certain areas. The IUCN lists Fleckenlinsang as "not endangered" ( least concern ).
literature
- Philippe Gaubert: Family Prionodontidae (Linsangs). In: Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier (eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 1: Carnivores. Lynx Edicions, 2009, ISBN 978-84-96553-49-1 , pp. 170-174.
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
Web links
- Prionodon pardicolor onthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . Retrieved June 29, 2009.