Tassel spikes
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Stuffed African tassel spike ( Atherurus africanus ) |
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| Atherurus | ||||||||||||
| F. Cuvier , 1829 |
Quastenstachler ( Atherurus ) is a genus of porcupines with two species that occur in Africa and Asia.
features
Tassel spikes are elongated with short legs. As with other porcupines, the upper body and partly the lower body are covered with spines. The spines are softer on the head, legs and belly. They also cover the front tail, while the middle tail area has scales . At the end of the tail is a tassel made of bristly hair, which gave the genus its name. The spines on the back are gray to black-brown and the hair in between has white tips. Completely white hair grows on the stomach. Adult specimens reach a head-trunk length of 35.5 to 57 cm, a tail length of 10 to 26 cm and a weight of 1.5 to 4.0 kg.
The fingers and toes equipped with claws are partially networked with skin.
Types and distribution
There are two kinds:
- The African tassel spike ( Atherurus africanus ) occurs from Gambia to Kenya and as far as the southern Democratic Republic of the Congo .
- The distribution area of the Asian tassel spike ( Atherurus macrourus ) extends from southern China ( Hubei , Sichuan , Yunnan ) to the mainland areas of rear India . The species also lives on smaller offshore islands, such as Hainan .
These rodents can be found in various types of forests in the lowlands and in mountains up to 3,000 meters high.
Way of life
Tassels are only active at night. During the day they rest in hiding places, e.g. B. between roots and crevices or in their burrows, which are created in natural cavities on steep river banks or in termite mounds . The porcupines rarely dig themselves, but cushion the nest with parts of plants. They usually stay on the ground, despite well-developed climbing and swimming skills. The animals can also jump a meter high.
These rodents mainly eat green parts of plants as well as roots, bark and fruits. Insects and carrion serve as complementary food.
At least the African species forms small family groups with up to eight members, which consist of a pair of parents and their young from different litters. The group shares the building and the area, the boundaries of which are marked with dung heaps. The Asian tassel spike is believed to show similar social behavior.
Females can have three litters per year; a specific mating season is not known. After a 100 to 110-day gestation , the female usually gives birth to one young, in rare cases up to four young are born. These are well developed and open your eyes after just a few hours. The young animals start to eat solid food from the second week at the earliest, but the mother still nurses until the youngsters are two months old. Specimens in human care lived to be nearly 23 years old.
The IUCN lists both species as Least Concern .
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 2 volumes. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD et al. 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h R. M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. Volume 2. 6th edition. 1999, pp. 1644-1645.
- ^ Atherurus in the 2011 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . Accessed June 27, 2012.
