Brush prick
| Brush prick | ||||||||||||
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Brush prick ( Trichys fasciculata ), drawing by Thomas Hardwicke |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Trichys | ||||||||||||
| Günther , 1877 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Trichys fasciculata | ||||||||||||
| ( Shaw , 1801) |
The brush prick ( Trichys fasciculata ) is a mammal in the porcupine family and the only species in the genus Trichys .
features
With a head-torso length of up to 48 cm, a tail length of up to 23 cm and a weight between 1.7 and 2.3 kg, the brush prick is the smallest member of the family. The body is covered on the back and sides by brown spines with white tips. These are shorter than other porcupines. There is brown fur on the head, whereas the fur on the underside is whitish. The long tail is mainly covered in scales , with the exception of a bristly tassel on the tip. In some individuals, the tail breaks off during flight or other events, but it cannot be regenerated.
distribution and habitat
The brush prick lives on the southwestern Malay Peninsula as well as on Sumatra and Borneo . In mountains it can be found up to 1150 meters above sea level. Primarily pristine forests serve as habitat . The species continues to visit human-modified landscapes and mangrove forests .
Way of life
The individuals are nocturnal. They rest during the day in found holes in the ground or in other hiding places. The brush prick usually stays on the ground and can climb in the undergrowth if necessary. It mainly eats parts of plants such as fruits, seeds, bamboo shoots or soft bark, as well as various invertebrates.
In the brush spike, the females are ready to mate for a month between September and November. Females ready to mate emit a mating call, whereupon the males fight for the right to mate. Usually the largest and oldest male is the winner. This follows the female for the next three days, during which mating takes place.
The gestation lasts about seven months to be born what one or two cubs. Presumably, like other porcupines, the newborns are well developed and equipped with soft spines at birth. Young brush prickles are suckled for about 8 weeks. They usually reach sexual maturity after a year. Captive specimens lived to be 10 years old.
status
The brush prick is hunted in Southeast Asia, but this has no serious impact on the overall population. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) lists the species as not endangered ( Least Concern ).
Individual evidence
- ↑ Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): Mammal Species of the World . A taxonomic and geographic Reference . 3. Edition. 2 volumes. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 (English, Trichys ).
- ↑ a b c d A. Reister: Trichys fasciculata in the Animal Diversity Web of the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
- ↑ a b Trichys fasciculata in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.2. Posted by: Aplin, K. & Lunde, D., 2008. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
