Support bag
| Support bag | ||||||||||||
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Support bagler ( Chaeropus ecaudatus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Chaeropus ecaudatus | ||||||||||||
| Ogilby , 1838 |
The support pouch ( Chaeropus ecaudatus ) is an extinct species of marsupial from the genus of the pig's foot nasal pouch ( Chaeropus ), which occurred with two subspecies in southwestern and southeastern Australia. The nominate form , Chaeropus ecaudatus ecaudatus lived in the arid zones of western New South Wales , northern Victoria and southeastern South Australia, and Chaeropus ecaudatus occidentalis was found in southern and western Western Australia . The pig's foot nasal sacs in the interior of Australia, originally attributed to Chaeropus ecaudatus , were described as a separate species in 2019 under the name Chaeropus yirratji . The support bag became extinct after the colonization of Australia by Europeans. The last copy in a collection was collected in Victoria in 1900. According to reports from Aboriginal people , the animals disappeared between 1920 and 1930.
features
The support bagler has a head body length of 23 to 26 cm, a hind foot length of 60 to 69.5 mm and a 7.5 to 11.9 cm long tail. The fur on the back is maroon and becomes increasingly ocher-colored towards the sides. The head is round with a short, pointed snout. The ears are 50 to 60 mm long and pointed at the end. The front legs are shorter than the rear legs. On the forefoot, the second and third toes are well developed. The fourth toe is clawless and reduced. It lies behind the second and third toes. The first and fifth toes are absent. The step seal of the forefoot is oval. Only the fourth toe is well developed at the rear of the foot and was the only toe that touched the ground when running. The first toe is absent and the second, third, and fifth toes are reduced and well behind the fourth toe. The tail is shorter than the length of the head and has a hair comb on the top and bottom.
Chaeropus ecaudatus ecaudatus has a beige peritoneum that C. e. occidentalis is gray. The ears of C. e. ecaudatus are 50 to 56 mm long and thus shorter than the 60 cm high ears of C. e. occidentalis . In addition, the upper and lower premolars and molars of C. e. occidentalis larger than that of C. e. occidentalis .
Way of life
The support bagler occurred in southwestern and southeastern Australia in the bushland on the edge of the desert. The species was omnivorous, but mainly fed on grass, leaves and roots. In addition, locusts, ants and termites were probably also eaten. Specimens kept in human care scorned small vertebrates. The support bagler was mostly nocturnal and spent the day in nests made of tussock grass or in flat earthworks in sand dunes. According to the German-Australian zoologist Gerard Krefft (1830–1881), they were sluggishly moving animals. However, Aborigines reported that they were able to flee at great speed when disturbed. Little is known about the reproduction of the species. They probably reproduced in May and June and the females had one or two young per litter.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e Kenny J. Travouillon, Bruno F. Simões, Roberto Portela Miguez, Selina Brace, Phillipa Brewer, David Stemmer, Gilbert J. Price, Jonathan Cramb and Julien Louys. 2019. Hidden in Plain Sight: Reassessment of the Pig-footed Bandicoot, Chaeropus ecaudatus (Peramelemorphia, Chaeropodidae), with A Description of A New Species from central Australia, and Use of the Fossil Record to Trace Its Past Distribution. Zootaxa. 4566 (1); 1-69. DOI: 10.11646 / zootaxa.4566.1.1
- ↑ a b Kristofer M. Helgen and Elizabeth G. Veatch: Recently Extinct Australian Maersupials snd Monotremes. Pages 17-31 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 (pages 27-28).