Bare-nosed wombat
| Bare-nosed wombat | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bare-nosed wombat ( Vombatus ursinus ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Vombatus | ||||||||||||
| É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire , 1803 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Vombatus ursinus | ||||||||||||
| ( Shaw , 1800) |
The Nacktnasenwombat ( Vombatus ursinus ) is a Beutelsäugerart from the family of Wombats (Vombatidae).
description
As the name suggests, the Nacktnasenwombat differs in the hairless snout of the lasiorhinus , other differences are the rough coat and the shorter, rounded ears. Its physique is similar to a bear, with short, muscular legs facing a strong body. The fur color varies from yellowish-brown to gray to black. The tail is just a stub. Bare-nosed wombats reach a head trunk length of 70 to 120 centimeters and a weight of 15 to 35 kilograms.
distribution and habitat
Bare-nosed wombats are relatively common in the temperate and better hydrated parts of southern and eastern Australia . In the north their distribution area extends to the mountainous regions of southern Queensland , to the south they come to Tasmania , to the west to South Australia . The preferred habitat of these animals are forested hill or mountain regions, which offer good slopes for digging the structures as well as native grasses for eating. In the south of their range, lower altitudes and more open landscapes are also populated.
Way of life
.jpg)
Bare-nosed wombats are solitary animals. They dig burrows that have one or more entrances and can branch underground to form a network of tunnels. The bedroom is upholstered with plants and is usually 2 to 4 meters after the entrance, but corridors up to 30 meters long have also been found in their buildings. They are predominantly crepuscular and nocturnal with the exception of occasional sunbathing in cooler seasons. Usually the day is overslept during construction. Wombats are herbivores, they feed on grasses, roots, plant bulbs and mushrooms, preferring young shoots. He finds this especially with his good nose. They live in an action space of 5 to 25 hectares in size. The preferred feeding place is regarded as the territory and this is marked with scent glands and excrement and, if necessary, defended against conspecifics with aggressive noises. Although they usually live solitary, there are also reports that animals stayed in other wombats' structures without being aggressive.
Usually they move slowly and deliberately and do not move far from the building.
Reproduction
Bare-nosed wombats can reproduce all year round, but the peak of mating and births is in the Australian late autumn (April to June): after a gestation period of around 20 days, the female usually gives birth, sometimes two young. These spend the first six to seven months of life in their mother's pouch, which is open at the back, after 12 to 15 months they are weaned and are sexually mature at two years of age. Bare-nosed wombats are rather long-lived for marsupials, a female animal in Duisburg Zoo was over 34 years old. Caught as young, they can become very affectionate.
Systematics
There are three subspecies of the bare-nosed wombat:
- The nominate form Vombatus ursinus ursinus , smaller than the other subspecies, was originally distributed on the islands of Bass Strait , but is only found on Flinders Island today .
- Vombatus ursinus hirsutus can be found on the mainland .
- The third subspecies Vombatus ursinus tasmaniensis is restricted to Tasmania.
threat
Although it has disappeared in some parts of its range, the bare-nosed wombat is one of the more common native animals in Australia. Its population is estimated at 1 million, so it is not an endangered species. However, the animals are protected in all states apart from eastern Victoria . Here wombats are considered a pest due to the damage they cause to rabbit fences.
Nose-nosed wombats are maintained in two subspecies in Europe in Duisburg, Hanover, Budapest, Cambron-Casteau and Mechelen.
supporting documents
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
- Ronald Strahan (Ed.): The Mammals of Australia. New Holland, Sydney 2000, ISBN 1-876334-01-0 .
Web links
- Vombatus ursinus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008 Posted by: D. Taggart, R. Martin, P. Menkhorst, 2008. Accessed January 6 of 2009.