Togian deer boar
| Togian deer boar | ||||||||||||
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| Babyrousa togeanensis | ||||||||||||
| ( Sody , 1949) |
The Togian deer boar ( Babyrousa togeanensis ) is a species of the deer boar (genus Babyrousa ). It is considered endangered and is only known from the Togian Islands off the Sulawesi .
features
According to skull comparisons, the Togian deer boar appears to be the largest living species of deer boar. However, there are no direct measurements of total body height. The species differs from the Sulawesi deer boar by the very hairy tail tassel. As with this one, the skin is only very sparsely hairy. The third living species, the Moluccan deer boar, is much more hairy. The most noticeable feature are the canines of the upper jaw, which, like all deer boars, push up through the skin into the open air. Compared to the other deer boar species, however, these are not curved backwards, but rather short and curved forwards. There are also differences in the structure of the molars.
distribution
The Togian deer boar only occurs on the Togian Islands near Sulawesi, which belong to Indonesia . You can find it here on Batudaka, Togian, Talatakoh and Malenge. Traces were also found on the small island of Kadidiri, north of Togain. The islands have been separated from Sulawesi for 12,000 years. It is unclear whether the Togian stag boars are closely related to the stag boars that live on the eastern arm of Sulawesi. It is possible that the animals were brought to the Togian Islands by humans or reached them by swimming.
Way of life
Little is known about the way of life. Like other deer boars, it lives in tropical rainforests and prefers the banks of rivers and ponds rich in water plants. Togian deer boars have also been observed on arable land, on the edge of villages, in secondary forests and on beaches. The animals have been shown to feed on rhizomes and fallen fruits, such as Pangium edule , Dracontomelon , Mangifera , Artocarpus and Spondias dulcis , but also cocoa and tamarinds . The coconut palm is also one of the food plants, but it is unclear whether the animals eat the young saplings or the fallen fruits. Practically nothing is known about the reproductive behavior. It should largely correspond to that of the Sulawesi deer boar. Random observations by farmers suggest litter sizes of around 2-3 young animals. The rest of the social behavior has not been studied in detail either. According to the local population, the animals seem to roam individually, in pairs or in small groups of a male and a few females. In addition, there are usually several young animals. Most observations are made in the morning hours.
Systematics
The Togian deer boar was originally described as a subspecies of Babyrousa bayrussa . This species, which originally included all deer boars, was later split into several species, including the Togian deer boar.
Threat and protection
Due to the very small distribution area of less than 5,000 square kilometers and the low, decreasing inventory numbers, the kind of which is IUCN as endangered ( Endangered ) classified. According to rough estimates, the total population is probably between 500 and 1000 animals. In addition, the habitats are highly fragmented, so that no subpopulation should include more than 250 adult animals. The greatest threat comes from the conversion of forests into arable land. The animals are also persecuted when they eat and damage crops. Dogs that hunt the deer are another threat. In contrast, the animals are seldom shot for meat production, as the majority of the residents are Muslim and refuse to eat pork. The Togian deer boar is protected in its homeland, and the Togian Islands are protected by a marine national park, which covers 336,773 hectares of sea and 25,832 hectares of land.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d E. Meijaard, JP d'Huart, WLR Oliver: Babirusa. (Babyrousa) In: DE Wilson, RA Mittermeier (Ed.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Vol. 2: Hoofed Mammals. 2011, ISBN 978-84-96553-77-4 , pp. 274-276.
- ↑ Babyrousa togeanensis in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2011.2. Listed by: AA Macdonald, J. Burton, K. Leus, 2008. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
Web links
- Babyrousa togeanensis inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2011.2. Listed by: Macdonald, AA, Burton, J. & Leus, K., 2008. Retrieved November 4, 2012.