Green ring bags

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Green ring bags
Pseudochirops archeri

Pseudochirops archeri

Systematics
Class : Mammals (mammalia)
Subclass : Marsupials (Marsupialia)
Superordinate : Australidelphia
Order : Diprotodontia
Family : Ringbeutler (Pseudocheiridae)
Genre : Green ring bags
Scientific name
Pseudochirops
Matschie , 1915

The Green Ringbeutler ( Pseudochirops ) are a genus of bag mammals from the family of the Ringbeutler (Pseudocheiridae). The genus includes five species.

features

The name-giving feature of these animals is their greenish or copper-colored fur, sometimes there may also be stripes on the back or face. The underside is lighter, often whitish in color. The tail can be used as a prehensile tail, its underside is hairless on the rear part. Green ring pouches reach a head body length of 29 to 41 centimeters and a weight of 0.6 to 2.2 kilograms.

Habitat and way of life

These animals live in rainforests up to 4000 meters above sea level, four of the five species live in New Guinea , only Pseudochirops archeri inhabits northeastern Queensland . They are nocturnal and sleep in forks of branches or in self-made leaf nests during the day. They spend most of their life in the trees and are likely to live mostly solitary. Their diet consists mainly of leaves, but they also eat fruits.

Types and systematics

There are five types:

  • The Kupferringbeutler ( Pseudochirops cupreus ) lives in the central mountains of New Guinea.
  • The long-haired ring-bagger ( Pseudochirops albertisii ) lives in northern and western New Guinea.
  • The Hermit Ringbeutler ( Pseudochirops coronatus ) occurs only on the western tip of New Guinea.
  • The gloss ringbuck ( Pseudochirops corinnae ) is native to the central mountains of New Guinea. The IUCN lists the species as endangered.
  • The striped ringtail butler ( Pseudochirops archeri ) lives as the only species in Australia, on the Cape York Peninsula . It is considered to be at low risk.

In the past, the Green Ringbeutler was thought to be closely related to the common Ringbeutler and was classified in the genus Pseudocheirus . However, according to recent research, they are only distantly related.

The closest relative of the Green Ringbeutler is the Felsen-Ringbeutler . According to a phylogenetic study from 2010, the genus in its current composition is paraphyletic . The striped ring-tailed bagger separated from a common ancestor of the other genus members before the rock-ringed bagler split off.

literature

  • Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999, ISBN 0801857899 .

supporting documents

  1. ↑ Meredith et al. A Phylogeny and Timescale for the Evolution of Pseudocheiridae (PDF) 2010, accessed November 10, 2017.

Web links

Commons : Green Ringbeutler ( Pseudochirops )  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files