Ring bagler
| Ring bagler | ||||||||||||
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Common Ringbeutler ( Pseudocheirus peregrinus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Pseudocheiridae | ||||||||||||
| Winge , 1893 |
The Ringbeutler or Ringelschwanzbeutler (Pseudocheiridae) are a family of the marsupial order of Diprotodontia . They owe their name to the curly tail used for climbing. They are closely related to the Gleitbeutlers and used to be part of a family with them. The main differences to these lie in the different tooth structure. The Ringbeutler family comprises six genera with 20 species.
distribution
Ringbeutler occur to a large extent in Australia and New Guinea .
description
Ringbeutlers are medium-sized marsupials that are largely adapted to tree life. The pronging tail and two “thumbs” are used for this purpose (two toes of the forelegs are opposite the others , as in the koala , and enable a secure grip on the branches). The tail is usually as long as the body and hairless on the underside. The head is short, the ears are small and round. Their fur is soft and woolly, mostly gray or brown on the top and yellowish to white on the underside. They reach a head body length of 20 to 48 cm and a weight of 0.7 to 2 kg. The giant glide pouches have developed a gliding membrane with the help of which they can undertake gliding flights between the branches.
Way of life
The Ringbeutler are nocturnal animals. With the exception of the Felsen-Ringbeutler, who inhabits rocky terrain, all of them are tree-dwellers, some of whom hardly ever come to the ground. They spend the day hidden in tree hollows or leaf nests (or in the case of the rock ringbuttler in caves or crevices) in order to go looking for food at night.
nutrition
Ringbeutler are herbivores that feed primarily on leaves. They also occasionally eat flowers and fruits.
Reproduction
Ringbaggers have back open bags with two or four teats. However, only one or two young are born who spend up to 6 months in the pouch, are breastfed for seven to ten months and become sexually mature in the second year of life.
Their life expectancy is four to five years, the Giant Gliding Bag is reported to be up to 15 years old.
Danger
The deforestation of the forests is certainly the greatest danger for the ringbuttlers. Two of the 20 species are classified as endangered by the IUCN . However, there is a lack of reliable data for many species only found in New Guinea.
Genera
The Ringbeutler are usually divided into the following six genera:
- Ring-tailed climbing bag ( Pseudocheirus )
- New Guinea and Queensland Ringbuttler ( Pseudochirulus )
- Green Ringbeutler ( Pseudochirops )
- Rock Ringbeutler ( Petropseudes dahli )
- Lemur Ringbeutler ( Hemibelideus lemuroides )
- Giant Gliding Bag ( Petauroides )
A possible cladogram of the Ringbeutler looks like this:
| Ringbeutler (Pseudocheiridae) |
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literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999 ISBN 0801857899
Individual evidence
- ↑ Stephen Jackson: Family Pseudocheiridae (Ring-tailed Possums and Greater Gliders). Page 499 in Don E. Wilson , Russell A. Mittermeier : Handbook of the Mammals of the World - Volume 5. Monotremes and Marsupials. Lynx Editions, 2015, ISBN 978-84-96553-99-6
