Swainson's broad-footed pouch mouse
| Swainson's broad-footed pouch mouse | ||||||||||||
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| Antechinus swainsonii | ||||||||||||
| ( Waterhouse , 1840) |
The Swainson's broad-footed pouch mouse ( Antechinus swainsonii ) is a marsupial from the predator family (Dasyuridae). It is a ground dweller in heather and forest landscapes of Tasmania. Typical for all species of this genus is the death of all males shortly after mating.
features
Like all broad-footed pouch mice , this species is very similar to the European shrews due to its body shape, long snout with real teeth and small eyes and ears . Further characteristics of this species are the soft fur, deeply dark brown on the back, and the relatively large, curved claws. Furthermore, the Swainson broad-footed pouch mouse can produce a wide range of sounds, especially fighting males can be noticed by loud "screaming". Adult male Swainson broad-foot bag mice reach a weight of 43 to 178 grams with a head-torso length of 103 to 188 millimeters and a tail length of 80 to 121 millimeters, while females with a head-torso length of 89 to 140 millimeters, one Tail length of 75 to 100 millimeters and a weight of 37 to 100 grams are smaller.
distribution
This species occurs exclusively in Tasmania . Antechinus mimetes , which occurs on the south east coast of Australia in the Australian states of New South Wales and Victoria, was originally considered a subspecies of the Swainson's broad-footed pouch mouse ( A. s. Mimetes ), but became a separate species in 2015.
Habitat
Despite its ability to climb, the Swainson broad-footed pouch is a ground-dweller in heathland and high, open forests with dense undergrowth of bushes and ferns. The highest population density is found in the mountains, where the average annual rainfall is over 1000 millimeters.
Food acquisition
This species hunts for ground-dwelling insects both day and night , but the diet is also supplemented by berries. The Swainson broad-foot bag mouse hunts mainly for smell (olfactory) and less for sight or hearing, whereby the strong front legs with the long claws are used for digging. The prey is held between the front paws to "bite off" and water is licked off with the short tongue. Both females and males show very jerky movements when eating, which is a sign of vigilance.
Reproduction
During the Australian winter, the females lay nests on the banks of watercourses or z. B. under logs lying on the ground. A corridor, usually less than 1 meter long, leads into a single chamber that is about 10 centimeters in diameter and is padded with some grass and leaves. Sometimes these nests are also created in corridors by the Australian bush rats . As with all broad-foot pouch mice, mating between all individuals is synchronized. It is fierce and usually is not preceded by any advertising behavior: the males bite the females' neck fur and hit their chest with their front paws before copulation occurs. This can last up to 6 hours. All males die 3 weeks after mating. About a month after mating, 6 to 8 young are born and are carried in the belly fold for another 8 weeks. After this time, the young are placed in the nest, which they leave when they are around three months old.
The special process of mating, fertilization of the female and the dying of the male is explained in detail in the article Broad-footed bag mice .
Danger
The IUCN lists the Swainson broad-footed pouch mouse as Least Concern (not endangered).
swell
- Dickman, CR in: Strahan, R. 1991 The complete book of Australian mammals. ISBN 0-207-14454-0 , pp. 46f.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Baker AM et al. 2015. A taxonomic assessment of the Australian Dusky Antechinus Complex: a new species, the Tasman Peninsula Dusky Antechinus (Antechinus vandycki sp. Nov.) And an elevation to species of the Mainland Dusky Antechinus (Antechinus swainsonii mimetes (Thomas)). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum - Nature, vol. 59, p. 75-126; doi: 10.17082 / j.2204-1478.59.2015.2014-10
