Nail kangaroos
| Nail kangaroos | ||||||||||||
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Short-nailed kangaroo ( Onychogalea fraenata ), |
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| Onychogalea | ||||||||||||
| Gray , 1841 |
The nail kangaroos ( Onychogalea , English Nailtail Wallabies) are a genus of marsupials from the kangaroo family . They owe their name to a nail-like spur at the end of their tail. The genus includes two living and one extinct species:
- Short-nailed kangaroo ( Onychogalea fraenata )
- Moon nail kangaroo ( Onychogalea lunata ) †
- Northern nail kangaroo ( Onychogalea unguifera )
features
With a weight of 3 to 9 kilograms, the nail kangaroos are one of the smaller kangaroo species. As with most kangaroos, the hind legs are significantly longer and stronger than the front legs. The tail is long and muscular, the nail-like spur at the tail end, which is partially covered by fur, is pressed into the ground when jumping, which creates a leverage effect. The fur of these animals is colored beige or gray on the upper side, the underside is whitish. Often there are white streaks in the shoulder area or on the hip.
Distribution and way of life
In the past, nail kangaroos were distributed almost all over Australia , today they have been pushed back to the northern regions of the continent. They inhabit different habitats, from dry steppes to open forests. Little is known about the way these animals live. They are crepuscular and nocturnal and sleep during the day in shallow nests or in thickets of plants. They live predominantly solitary, but sometimes join forces with other animals while searching for food. Their diet consists of grasses and herbs, like all kangaroos they have a multi-chambered stomach for better utilization of the difficult to digest plant food.
Danger
Nail kangaroos have been badly affected by the arrival of Europeans in Australia. The moon-nailed kangaroo became extinct in the middle of the 20th century, and the short-nailed kangaroo was also thought to be extinct, before a population was found in the 1970s that was placed under protection and is undergoing breeding and reintroduction programs. Only one species, the Northern Nailed Kangaroo, is still relatively common.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. Volume 1. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD et al. 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 , pp. 61-64.
