Western ringtail butler
| Western ringtail butler | ||||||||||||
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Western ring-tailed bucket ( Pseudocheirus occidentalis ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Pseudocheirus occidentalis | ||||||||||||
| Thomas , 1888 |
The western ringtail bucket ( Pseudocheirus occidentalis ) is a species of marsupial from the family of the ring bucket (Pseudocheiridae) that occurs in the southwest of Western Australia from Bunbury in the west to Waychinicup National Park in the east.
description
The animals reach a head trunk length of 30 to 40 cm, have a 30 to 41 cm long tail and weigh 0.7 to 1.3 kg. The short fur is dark, chocolate brown to gray. The ventral side is whitish. The tail is covered with very short hair. Its distal half is whitish or cream-colored.
habitat
The western ring-tailed buccaneer occurs in forests that are dominated by the myrtle family . Common trees are the willow myrtle ( Agonis flexuosa ), Eucalyptus gomphocephala , Eucalyptus marginata , Eucalyptus wandoo and the Marri tree ( Corymbia calophylla ). It used to be found in the heather areas near Pingelly in casuarina forests.
Way of life
Western ring-tailed buccaneers are nocturnal and mainly arboreal. Sometimes they go to the ground in search of food or to switch from one tree to another when the canopy is not closed. The animals are primarily leaf eater and feed 90 to 95% on the leaves of the willow myrtle. If you do not find this food, you can eat the leaves of Eucalyptus marginata and the leaves of the Marri tree.
During the day they sleep in tree hollows or close to the ground in dense vegetation in a nest they have built from leaves, bark and ferns. Each individual uses 2 to 7 nests. Sometimes they sleep through the day unprotected or in a rabbit hole. The territories of the animals are 0.1 to 4.5 hectares in size. The territories of the males only slightly overlap those of other males or females. The territories of the females overlap with those of their daughters.
Reproduction
Western ring-tailed buccaneers reproduce all year round, but most young are born between April and June or between October and December. In most cases only one cub is born, but there can be two or three. The young animals stay in the bag, which has four teats, for about 100 days. After 6 to 8 months they are weaned and by 8 to 12 months of age they become self-employed and abandon their mother. Male cubs leave their mother's territory. Sexual maturity is reached around one year of age. Western ringtail butlers can live to be 4 to 6 years old.
threat
The western ring-tailed buccaneer is listed as "Critically Endangered" by the IUCN. Its distribution area is smaller than 500 km² and fragmented. Originally, it also included the entire Western Australian Wheatbelt . Many animals fall victim to road traffic, bush fires, frequent droughts or being stalked by red foxes and stray cats. In 2015 the total population was estimated at 3400 animals.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f Stephen Jackson: Family Pseudocheiridae (Ring-tailed Possums and Greater Gliders). Page 527 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
- ^ Pseudocheirus occidentalis in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . Retrieved April 6, 2018.