Talaud bear cuscus
| Talaud bear cuscus | ||||||||||||
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Drawing by René Primevère Lesson |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Ailurops melanotis | ||||||||||||
| ( Thomas , 1898) |
The Talaud bear cuscus ( Ailurops melanotis ) is a marsupial in the climbing family that is found on Salebabu , the largest of the Indonesian Talaud Islands north of Sulawesi, and possibly also on the island of Sangir ( Sangihe Islands ). It is uncertain whether the bear cususes seen on Sangir belong to the Talaud bear cusus or the actual bear cusus .
features
The animals are similar to the actual bear cuscus but are smaller and less robust overall, have a shorter tail and different fur colors. They reach a head-trunk length of about 45 cm, the tail is about 33 cm long. No information is available on the weight of the animals. The Talaud bear cusus has a gray-yellowish, thick fur and olive-green eyes. The hands, feet and the section of the prehensile tail that is covered with fur towards the trunk are lighter and more yellowish. The ears are small and are partially bent by the head fur. The skull of the Talaud bear cusus is significantly smaller than the other two bear cusus species. They have two to three incisors on each side of the upper jaw, with the other species there are always three teeth.
Way of life
Little is known about the way of life of the animals. On Salebabu they live in primary forests and in directly adjacent gardens. Females give birth to a single cub. More precise information on nutrition is not available.
status
The Talaud bear cuscus is threatened by deforestation as the basis for new agricultural areas. In addition, it is hunted for its meat or targeted as a pet. The island of Salibabu is less than 100 km² and the Sahendaruman Forest, a primary forest which is the only safe range of the species, is only slightly larger than 4,000 hectares. The IUCN lists the Talaud Bear Musk as Critically Endangered . Indonesia has placed the species under protection by law.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c Kristofer Helgen & Stephen Jackson: Family Phalangeridae (Cuscuses, Brush-tailed Possums and Scaly-tailed Possum). Pages 485-486 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
- ↑ a b Ailurops melanotis in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2016 Posted by: Flannery, T. & slipway, K., 2015. Accessed March 10, 2018th