Naked breasted kangaroo
| Naked breasted kangaroo | ||||||||||||
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Naked-breasted kangaroo ( Caloprymnus campestris ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Caloprymnus | ||||||||||||
| Thomas , 1888 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Caloprymnus campestris | ||||||||||||
| ( Gould , 1843) |
The bare- breasted kangaroo ( Caloprymnus campestris ) is an extinct species of marsupial from the rat kangaroo family (Potoroidae).
description
Of all the rat kangaroos, the bare-breasted kangaroo was most similar to the actual kangaroo in terms of physique . The large hind legs, the elongated, hairless muzzle and the long, curved ears were striking. The fur was colored yellowish brown on the upper side, the underside was lighter, almost whitish. Bare-breasted kangaroos reached a head body length of 25 to 28 centimeters, the tail was longer than the body and evenly hairy, he reached lengths of 30 to 37 centimeters. The weight of these animals was 600 to 1000 grams.
distribution and habitat
Naked-breasted kangaroos inhabited a relatively small area in interior Australia , the Lake Eyre Basin in northern South Australia and southwestern Queensland . Their habitat was dry, desert-like areas with only a few plants.
Way of life
Naked-breasted kangaroos were nocturnal loners. They spent the day in self-made nests, which they usually dug in pits to find shade. Like most rat kangaroos, they were familiar with two modes of locomotion, a slow one on all four limbs, for example when foraging for food, and a fast one, in which they only hopped on their hind legs, for example when fleeing. These animals were omnivores, consuming both insects and plant foods.
Reproduction
Little is known about reproduction. After a gestation period of around one to two months, the female usually gave birth to a single young that spent around two to three months in its mother's pouch. They became sexually mature between 11 and 13 months of age. Life expectancy is estimated at a maximum of 13 years.
The extinction
Naked-breasted kangaroos were considered to be relatively common in their small area until the 1930s. After a pronounced dry period, the animals were last seen in 1935. The reasons for the extinction are the reenactment by introduced predators such as foxes or house cats , the hunting and the large-scale introduction of cattle and sheep into their area of distribution.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
Web links
- Caloprymnus campestris inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.3. Posted by: Australasian Mammal Assessment Workshop, 2008. Accessed December 29, 2014.