Dwarf Ringbeutler
| Dwarf Ringbeutler | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Pseudochirulus mayeri | ||||||||||||
| ( Jentink , 1884) |
The Dwarf Ringbeutler ( Pseudochirulus mayeri ) is a marsupial from the Ringbeutler family, which is native to the central mountains of New Guinea from the Paniai Lakes in the west to Mount Hagen in the east, on the Huon Peninsula .
features
The dwarf ring pouch have a head-trunk length of 17 to 21 cm, a 15 to 19 cm long tail and a weight of 105 to 206 g. The animals are colored monotonously brown, without any drawings or patterns. They can best be distinguished from other ring baggers by their small size.
Occurrence, habitat and way of life
The dwarf ringbutler lives in damp, moss-covered forests at altitudes of 1500 meters above sea level. Most of the animals are found at altitudes between 2500 and 3600 meters. In contrast to most other ring pouches, they do not primarily feed on leaves, but rather on epiphytic lichens, mosses, ferns, mushrooms and pollen. One specimen kept in captivity largely refused the leaf food offered. Little is known about the reproductive behavior and other behavior of the animals. The animals are nocturnal and spend the day in nests that are built at a low altitude, usually only one meter above the ground. The nests are usually built in forks of branches, consist mainly of moss and lichen and have an entrance and exit opening at the top.
Danger
The IUCN classifies the dwarf ring bag in the “ Least Concern ” category . Threats that could seriously endanger the population of the species are so far unknown. It is possible that the dwarf ringbutler is hunted by humans to obtain bushmeat .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Stephen Jackson: Family Pseudocheiridae (Ring-tailed Possums and Greater Gliders). 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 , page 525.
- ↑ Pseudochirulus mayeri in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species .