Moon nail kangaroo
| Moon nail kangaroo | ||||||||||||
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Moon-nailed kangaroo ( Onychogalea lunata ), |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Onychogalea lunata | ||||||||||||
| ( Gould , 1841) |
The moon nail kangaroo ( Onychogalea lunata ) is an extinct species of marsupial from the kangaroo family (Macropodidae).
features
Moon nail kangaroos were relatively small kangaroos weighing up to 3.5 kilograms. Their fur was gray on the upper side, the shoulders and the flanks were slightly reddish; the underside was white. The name-giving feature was the white, crescent-shaped shoulder stripe, next to it were indistinct white stripes on the hip. As with all nail kangaroos , the tail had a small spur partially hidden by the fur. As with most kangaroos, the hind legs were significantly longer and stronger than the front legs.
Distribution and way of life
The original range of the moon nail kangaroos covered large parts of the interior of Australia , they also lived in southwestern Western Australia . Their habitat were open forests and savannah areas with mulga . Little is known about their way of life. They were nocturnal and hid themselves in the vegetation during the day. Like the other nail kangaroos, they lived mostly solitary, their diet consisted of grass and herbs.
die out
Moon nail kangaroos were still relatively common until the end of the 19th century, when the populations began to decline dramatically. Main reason is the adjustment by entrained predators, especially foxes have been, were added bushfires and the food competition by introduced pets and rabbits. In central Australia, the animals kept a little longer than in Western Australia. The last animals were seen in the 1950s, with Aboriginal reports suggesting that they may have survived into the 1960s. Today the species is extinct.
Zoo situation
In Europe the species was kept in Frankfurt and London.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Mammals of the World . Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 1999. ISBN 0-8018-5789-9
supporting documents
- ↑ Moon nail kangaroo (Onychogalea lunata) on zootierliste.de
Web links
- Data sheet (PDF) (536 kB)
- Onychogalea lunata onthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . Retrieved May 15, 2009.