Silk cuscus
| Silk cuscus | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Phalanger sericeus | ||||||||||||
| Thomas , 1907 |
The silk cuscus ( Phalanger sericeus ) is a marsupial from the climbing family (Phalangeridae), which occurs in two subspecies in the New Guinea Central Mountains and south of it on the slopes of Mount Bosavi . Phalanger sericeus occidentalis lives west of 143 ° east latitude and the nominate form lives east of it.
features
The silk cuscus reaches a body length of 37.5 to 46 cm, has a 27 to 32 cm long prehensile tail and reaches a weight of 1.7 to 2.4 kg. The very dense fur is dark and shiny. The smooth tail is black, sometimes with a small, white tip. The head is medium in size with a condylobasal length of 70 to 85 mm. There is only one premolar in the upper jaw and one or two single-pointed premolars in the lower jaw. The silk cuscus can easily be confused with the mountain cuscus ( Phalanger carmelitae ), which has the same distribution area. Its tail, however, is covered with tubercles, the tip of the tail is always white, there is a second premolar in the upper jaw, and there are three single-pointed premolars in the lower jaw.
Habitat and way of life
The silk cuscus occurs in primary mountain forests at altitudes of 1500 to 3900 meters. In the oak- dominated forests of the Telefomin region, where it occurs sympatric with the mountain cuscus, Stein's cuscus ( Phalanger vestitus ) and the same color cuscus ( Phalanger gymnotis ), the silk cuscus is rare. In forests that are damaged by human interference, the silk cuscus moves to higher regions. The silk cuscus does not tolerate the warm temperatures of the lowlands of New Guinea. The animals are nocturnal and spend the day in tree hollows or on the ground between stones or tree roots. In a year, the animals use around 10 to 20 different resting places that are on average 100 meters apart. During the night the animals spend about 50% of their time eating, about a quarter of the time they rest and the rest of the time is mainly used for locomotion. The silk cuscus feeds mainly on leaves and fruits, with leaves making up more than 90% of the diet, while the rest of the food consumed consists of fruits. Among the food crops of Bergkuskus include Acronychia , Elaeocarpus , Eurya , Garcinia , casuarina trees , Cordyline , Litsea , Planchonella , Podocarpus , Syzygium and Trema . The hard leaves of screw trees are chewed and the fibrous parts are spat out before swallowing. Little is known about the reproduction of the animals. One female with a small boy in her pouch and another with a larger one on her back were observed in December. Young animals riding on their backs that were weighed in April weighed 740 and 910 g, respectively.
Danger
The IUCN estimates the existence of the silk kuskus as safe ( Least Concern ). The animals have a large range and are relatively common. The main threat is human hunting for bushmeat .
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d Kristofer Helgen & Stephen Jackson: Family Phalangeridae (Cuscuses, Brush-tailed Possums and Scaly-tailed Possum). 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 , p. 492.