Small rabbit nasal bag
| Small rabbit nasal bag | ||||||||||||
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Little rabbit nosebuoy ( Macrotis leucura ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Macrotis leucura | ||||||||||||
| ( Thomas , 1887) |
The small rabbit nasal sac ( Macrotis leucura ) was a species of marsupial from the group of nasal sacs that lived in Australia . It became extinct in the 20th century. Its closest relative is the living Great Rabbit-nosed Butler .
features
Like all nosebags, the little rabbit nosebuoy had a stocky build and a pointed muzzle. He reached a head body length of 20 to 27 centimeters, a tail length of 12 to 17 centimeters and a weight of 0.3 to 0.4 kilograms. The soft, silky fur was gray-brown on the top and white on the underside. The tail ended in a tassel and, in contrast to that of its larger relative, was colored continuously white. The head was characterized by the elongated snout and the large ears. The front legs were strong and suitable for digging, the elongated hind legs were used for hopping locomotion.
Distribution and way of life
Small rabbit-nosed fishers inhabited the arid interior of Australia. There were two populations, one in northeastern South Australia and the adjacent regions of the Northern Territory and one in eastern Western Australia and the southwestern Northern Territory. Little is known about the way these animals live. They were nocturnal and spent the day in deep earthworks they had dug themselves. They fed on insects, other small animals, and roots that they dug from the ground.
The extinction
At the beginning of the 20th century, the population began to decline dramatically. The reasons for this were the stalking by introduced red foxes and house cats , the displacement by the also introduced wild rabbits and the large-scale conversion of their habitat into cattle pastures. The last known sighting is from 1931, and reports by the Aborigines suggest that the species may have survived into the 1960s.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999 ISBN 0-8018-5789-9
Web links
- Information from Threatened Species of the Northern Territory, PDF (286 kB)
- Macrotis leucura onthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . Retrieved March 24, 2009.