North American cat frett
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North American cat fret ( Bassariscus astutus ) |
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| Bassariscus astutus | ||||||||||||
| ( Lichtenstein , 1830) |
The North American cat fret ( Bassariscus astutus ) is a small bear belonging to the genus of the cat fret ( Bassariscus ).
features
The North American cat frett is characterized by a brownish fur on the trunk and a conspicuous bushy tail with 14 to 16 black and white rings. The large purple eyes are surrounded by rings made of lighter colored fur. With a head-to-trunk length of 30 to 42 cm, a tail length of 31 to 44 cm and a weight of 0.8 to 1.4 kg, the North American cat frett is slightly smaller than a house cat . The short claws can only be partially retracted.
distribution and habitat
The species lives in the US states of California , Colorado , Oklahoma , Oregon , Arizona , New Mexico , Nevada , Texas and Utah, as well as in northern and central Mexico . In the Mexican states of Guerrero , Oaxaca and Veracruz , the distribution area overlaps with the occurrence of the sister species Central American cat frett ( Bassariscus sumichrasti ). Dry forests, rocky regions and deserts with scattered trees or bushes serve as habitats . The nest is usually in tree hollows, crevices in the rock, abandoned burrows by other animals or dense collections of vegetation.
These small bears generally stay at an altitude of up to 1,400 m, but have already been spotted at heights of up to 2,900 m.
Way of life
The North American cat frett is an omnivore that feeds on fruits, berries, insects , lizards , as well as small rodents and birds , among other things . It is a nocturnal animal and the sexes live separately outside of the mating season. The sounds they make are reminiscent of raccoons .
The species has some natural predators such as owls , foxes , coyotes , raccoons, and bobcats .
Reproduction
Mating takes place in spring between February and May. After about 50 days of gestation , one to five young animals are born, which are initially blind. The male provides food to the female during pregnancy. The young open their eyes after about a month (21 to 34 days) and at about four months (60 to 100 days) they begin their first attempts at hunting. The sexual maturity occurs after approximately ten months. In the wild, the animals can reach an age of seven years.
North American cat frett and humans
According to various reports, the individuals can be tamed well and used to hunt mice. American settlers and miners often had a copy to keep their homes free from pests . The species therefore received the English name "miner's cat", even if it was not a cat. Usually the Katzenfrett was given a box in a warmer place to sleep. The animal could begin its nocturnal forays through a hole in the box.
The species is the official State Mammal of the State of Arizona.
The population is comparatively large and so this small bear is listed by the IUCN as " Least Concern " .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Julie Lu: The Biogeography of Ringtailed Cats . San Francisco University. Archived from the original on August 10, 2010. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Accessed December 2010.
- ↑ a b c d e f J. Goldberg: Bassariscus astutus ( engl. ) In: Animal Diversity Web . University of Michigan. 2003. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
- ↑ a b c d e f Ivo Poglayen-Neuwall, Dale E. Toweill: Bassariscus astutus . In: Mammalian Species . No. 327, 1988.
- ↑ a b Bassariscus astutus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2011. Posted by: Timm, R., Reid, F. & slipway, K., 2008. Accessed November 19, 2011th
- ↑ Arizona's State Symbols . In: Capitol Museum . Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records. Archived from the original on September 8, 2011. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
