Black-spot spotted cuscus
| Black-spot spotted cuscus | ||||||||||||
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Male of the black-spot spotted cusus on an Indonesian postage stamp |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Spilocuscus rufoniger | ||||||||||||
| ( Zimara , 1937) |
The black-spot spotted cuscus ( Spilocuscus rufoniger ) is a marsupial from the family of climbing bees (Phalangeridae), which occurs in northern New Guinea from the Vogelkop Peninsula to the Huon Peninsula and on the island of Yapen . There is also little evidence of the species from the south of New Guinea, from the Lorentz river basin and from the headwaters of the Fly .
features
The black spot spotted cuscus reaches a head body length of 58 to 69 cm, has a 45 to 65 cm long prehensile tail and it reaches a weight of 5.5 to 6.6 kg. This makes it the largest climbing bag in New Guinea. Males of the black spot spotted cuscus have a creamy white color on the abdomen and the same basic color on the back. The posterior back and thighs are patterned with black or deep dark red spots. These spots are reddish to golden-orange on the front of the back, in the neck, on the shoulders and the upper arms. The head, hands and feet are single-colored, reddish to golden-orange. The tail is golden-orange to whitish. Females are similarly colored, except that the coloring is flat, so that they show a dark saddle spot in the back area. Young animals are uniformly red-brown in color. The skull of the black- spot spotted cusus is relatively large ( condylobasal length 107–125 mm) and the molars are massive and only slightly jagged. The ears are short and only protrude slightly from the fur.
habitat
The black spot spotted cuscus occurs in pristine primary rainforests from sea level to heights of 1200 meters. It is not common in the entire range.
Way of life
The black spot spotted cuscus is nocturnal and diurnal. The animals sleep in forks high in the trees. Like other spotted cusus, they feed on leaves and fruits, including the acorns of southern oaks ( Lithocarpus ). No further information on nutrition is known. A female gets a single cub. The common predators of the black-spot spotted cusus include large pythons .
Danger
In the last 15 years the population of the black spot spotted cusus has declined by 80%. In parts of its former range, for example on the Vogelkop and Huon Peninsula, the species may have completely disappeared. The main reason for the decline of the population is the clearing of the rainforest, for example to obtain wood or to create oil palm plantations. According to the IUCN , the species is critically endangered.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d Kristofer Helgen & Stephen Jackson: Family Phalangeridae (Cuscuses, Brush-tailed Possums and Scaly-tailed Possum). Page 495 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
- ↑ Spilocuscus rufoniger in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2016. Posted by: Leary, T., Singadan, R., Menzies, J., Helgen, K., Allison, A., James, R., Flannery, T. , Aplin, K., Dickman, C. & Salas, L., 2015. Retrieved March 11, 2018.