Animals of Australia speckled marsupial marten. marsupial marten. Lifestyle and habitat of the marsupial marten. Eastern quoll in zoos and mating features
speckled marsupial marten(lat. Dasyurus viverrinus) is a small animal from the family of carnivorous marsupials that lives in Tasmania. Once it was distributed throughout southeastern Australia, but it could not compete with foxes, cats and dogs brought to the mainland and disappeared by the middle of the 20th century.
In addition, the speckled marten hunted chickens, ducks and geese, which earned itself a sentence from people who destroyed uninvited guests with the help of traps and poisoned baits.
And in vain, because the marten could help them get rid of rodents, insects and other pests. However, the epizootic of 1901-1903. completed all the unpleasant work for people, significantly reducing the number of these animals.
The aborigines called the marsupial marten "kuol", which means "cat-tiger". It was this word that the first settlers heard, who called the unusual animal a quoll. Of course, the animal will not pull on a ferocious tiger, but with domestic cat it can be compared. In any case, their dimensions are similar - the body length of the quoll is approximately 45 cm, the tail is 30 cm, the height at the withers is about 15 cm, and the weight is 1.5 kg.
The shade of the marsupial marten's fur can be from black to yellowish brown. Light spots are scattered all over the body different shapes, and on the head they are much smaller than on the back and sides. The tail is solid, without specks, the belly is light. The elongated muzzle ends in a reddish pointed nose, medium-sized ears have rounded tips.
The quolls lead night image life. It is in the dark that they hunt small mammals and ground birds, look for their eggs and feast on insects. Sometimes they eat dead animals that the sea has thrown onto land. From time to time they visit the nearest farms, where they ruthlessly strangle domestic animals and generally behave extremely indecently: some individuals even steal meat and fat directly from the kitchens of local residents.
Maybe that's why their gait is creeping and extremely cautious, but their movements are lightning fast. Speckled marsupial martens spend most of their time on the ground, they climb trees poorly and reluctantly.
Unless they can climb up the sloping trunk if it is really necessary. When it gets particularly hot, the quolls hide in caves, in crevices among rocks, and in hollows of trees, where soft, dry grass and bark are dragged.
Their breeding season lasts from May to September - during the Australian winter. One female usually gives birth to 4 or more cubs (in captivity, there was even a case when one lady brought 24 babies at once), but only those of them who managed to reach the mother's nipple first and hang on it survive. There are only 6 nipples in the pouch of the speckled marten, so it's not hard to guess how many cubs will survive.
The brood pouch of the quoll has nothing to do with the kangaroo pouch: it develops only during the breeding season and is turned back towards the tail. The cubs are in it for about 8 weeks, and then hide in the den while the mother goes hunting.
If necessary, they travel on her back. At the age of 18-20 weeks, the grown quolls leave the parent. Speckled marsupial martens, along with other Australian species, are listed in the International Red Book.
Once this animal was distributed throughout southeastern Australia, but could not compete with foxes, cats and dogs brought to the mainland and disappeared by the middle of the 20th century. The speckled marten hunted chickens, ducks and geese, which earned itself a sentence from people who destroyed uninvited guests with the help of traps and poisoned baits.
And in vain, because the marten could help them get rid of rodents, insects and other pests. However, the epizootic of 1901-1903. completed all the unpleasant work for people, significantly reducing the number of these animals.
The aborigines called the marsupial marten "kuol", which means "cat-tiger". It was this word that the first settlers heard, who called the unusual animal a quoll. Of course, the animal will not pull on a ferocious tiger, but it can be compared with a domestic cat. In any case, their dimensions are similar - the body length of the quoll is approximately 45 cm, the tail is 30 cm, the height at the withers is about 15 cm, and the weight is 1.5 kg.
The shade of the marsupial marten's fur can be from black to yellowish brown. Light spots of various shapes are scattered throughout the body, and on the head they are much smaller than on the back and sides. The tail is solid, without specks, the belly is light. The elongated muzzle ends in a reddish pointed nose, medium-sized ears have rounded tips.
Quolls are nocturnal. It is in the dark that they hunt small mammals and ground birds, look for their eggs and feast on insects. Sometimes they eat dead animals that the sea has thrown onto land. From time to time they visit the nearest farms, where they ruthlessly strangle domestic animals and generally behave extremely indecently: some individuals even steal meat and fat directly from the kitchens of local residents.
Maybe that's why their gait is creeping and extremely cautious, but their movements are lightning fast. Speckled marsupial martens spend most of their time on the ground, they climb trees poorly and reluctantly.
Unless they can climb up the sloping trunk if it is really necessary. When it gets particularly hot, the quolls hide in caves, in crevices among rocks, and in hollows of trees, where soft, dry grass and bark are dragged.
Their breeding season lasts from May to September - during the Australian winter. One female usually gives birth to 4 or more cubs (in captivity, there was even a case when one lady brought 24 babies at once), but only those of them who managed to reach the mother's nipple first and hang on it survive. There are only 6 nipples in the pouch of the speckled marten, so it's not hard to guess how many cubs will survive.
The brood pouch of the quoll has nothing to do with the kangaroo pouch: it develops only during the breeding season and is turned back towards the tail. The cubs are in it for about 8 weeks, and then hide in the den while the mother goes hunting.
If necessary, they travel on her back. At the age of 18-20 weeks, the grown quolls leave the parent. Speckled marsupial martens, along with other Australian species, are listed in the International Red Book.
The name was given because of some resemblance to real martens and cats. Also called "quolls". Body length 25-75 cm, tail 20-60 cm; weight varies from 900 g ( Dasyurus hallucatus) up to 4-7 kg ( Dasyurus maculatus). The females are smaller. The hair on the body is usually short, dense and soft; tail covered over long hair. The ears are relatively small. The coloration on the back and sides is gray-yellow to black with numerous white spots; on the belly - white, gray or yellow. Females have 6-8 nipples. The brood pouch develops only during the breeding season and opens back towards the tail; the rest of the time it is represented by skin folds that limit the milky field in front and from the sides. Canines and molars are well developed.
6 species of this genus are distributed in Australia, Tasmania and Papua New Guinea. They live both in forests and on open plains. The lifestyle is predominantly terrestrial, but they climb trees and rocks well. Active at night, rarely seen during the day. Refuge during the day are cracks among stones, caves, hollows fallen trees where marsupial martens drag dry grass and bark. Carnivorous, feeding on small mammals (rabbit-sized), birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, mollusks, freshwater crustaceans and insects; They also eat carrion and fruits. After the colonization of Australia, introduced species began to be hunted; on the one hand, marsupial martens cause some harm by destroying chicken coops (one of the reasons for the reduction in their numbers was their extermination by farmers), on the other hand, they are useful animals that destroy pests, rats, mice and rabbits. Outside of the breeding season, they lead a solitary lifestyle. They breed once a year, in the Australian winter - from May to July. Pregnancy lasts 16-24 days. There are 2-8 cubs in the litter, although sometimes up to 24-30. The number of marsupial martens in Australia has greatly decreased due to epizootics of the early 20th century, habitat destruction, extermination by people and food competition with introduced predators (cats, dogs, foxes), but they are still quite numerous in Tasmania and New Guinea. All Australian species listed in the International Red Book.
The striped marten is also called the only representative of the genus Myoictis.
Taxonomy
- Dasyurus albopunctatus- New Guinea marsupial marten, found in New Guinea;
- Dasyurus geoffroii- marsupial marten Geoffroy, disappeared everywhere except eucalyptus forests in the southwest Western Australia, although it was originally widespread in eastern and southern Australia, as well as in the desert areas of Central Australia; listed in the IUCN Red List with the status of "Vulnerable" (Vulnerable);
- Dasyurus hallucatus- pygmy, or northern, marsupial marten;
- Dasyurus maculatus- tiger marsupial marten;
- Dasyurus spartacus- bronze marsupial marten, found in New Guinea;
- Dasyurus viverrinus- speckled marsupial marten.
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See what "Marsupial marten" is in other dictionaries:
marsupial marten- juodauodegė sterbliakiaunė statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Dasyurus geoffroyi engl. black tailed native cat; chuditch; western Australian native cat; western dasyure; western native cat vok.… … Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas
Northern marsupial marten- Northern marsupial marten ... Wikipedia
Spotted marsupial marten- Spotted-tailed marsupial marten ... Wikipedia
In nature, there are a huge number of animals that differ in size, color and behavior.
Sometimes there is a species that combines several characteristics from other animals. A prime example to confirm these facts, marsupial marten can serve.
Area of distribution of the marten
Marsupials of this species are sufficient in in large numbers live on the islands of New Guinea, Tasmania, as well as on the Australian mainland.
Appearance of marsupial marten
This animal is appearance resembles a mixture of martens and cats. Therefore, this species has another name - a marsupial cat, which combines six other species.
The size adult can vary from 25 to 74 cm, and the tail falls from 20 to 40 cm, and sometimes all 60. Total weight spotted marten ranges from 1 to 6 kg. The females of this species are slightly smaller than the males.
The body is covered with hair, it is very soft and thick, but rather short, but on the tail it is the same, but longer. The color of the coat is gray - brown, gray - yellow or gray - black, it has white spots that have an irregular shape. It is thanks to their presence that the genus of these martens was called spotted. The end of the muzzle is colored red, and the abdomen is most often yellow, gray or white.
The head of this marten is small and blunt, but depending on the species, there are individuals with a short and pointed head. The ears of this animal also do not differ. big size.
Listen to the voice of marsupial marten
There are 42 teeth in the mouth, of which the molars and canines are the most developed. Sometimes the upper first incisor is separated from other incisors by some space.
Another hallmark in this species of martens is the presence of not only plantar pads, but also the first toe located on the hind limbs.
Marsupial martens - owners long tail. marsupial marten lifestyle
For their shelters, these animals use the hollows of fallen trees, where they drag dry bark and grass. In addition, a gap among the stones, as well as an abandoned hole and other nooks that they can find, can become a shelter for them. The main activity of marsupial martens falls at night, when they move not only on the surface of the earth, but also climb trees. Quite often, these animals can be found near human habitation.
Food marsupial marten
Marsupial martens are predatory animals. The main food for animals of this species are small birds and mammals, as well as insects, mollusks, fish and other species of amphibians and reptiles. However, on occasion, they will not refuse carrion. In addition, the diet of marsupial martens includes plant foods in the form of fruits.
reproduction
Pregnancy of female martens lasts about three weeks, which falls on summer months May and July. After that, from 4 to 6 babies are born. However, one case is known when a female of this species was able to give birth to 24 cubs at once.
Babies are born blind and feed on their mother's milk. Their size at four weeks of age does not exceed 4 cm. After 8 weeks, they stop sucking milk, and after another three weeks, their eyes open. Small martens begin to taste meat at the age of 15 weeks, and become completely independent at 4.5 months.
Enemies of marsupial marten
Very little is known about the enemies of this species. It is assumed that martens can be hunted
The speckled marsupial marten belongs to the family of carnivorous marsupials. These animals live in Tasmania. Once these martens lived throughout southeastern Australia, but foxes, dogs and cats brought to the mainland in the 20th century exterminated speckled marsupial martens.
In addition, these animals hunted domestic birds, in connection with which people began to destroy them by setting traps and laying out poisoned baits.
And this is completely in vain, since martens destroy rodents, insects and other pests. However, in 1901 an epidemic occurred, and it completed their work for the people - the number of speckled marsupial martens was significantly reduced.
The locals called these animals "kuol", which translates as "cat-tiger", and the settlers, having heard this name, began to call the speckled martens "kwolls". Naturally, the speckled marsupial marten is very far from the bloodthirsty tiger, but it has a lot in common with the domestic cat. First of all, they have almost identical dimensions - the body length of the marten is about 45 centimeters, the height at the withers is 15 centimeters, the tail length is 30 centimeters, and the weight is about 1.5 kilograms.
The color of this animal varies from yellowish brown to black. The whole body is strewn with light spots, various forms, while the spots on the back and sides are much larger than on the head.
The tail has a solid color without specks. The belly is light. The muzzle of the speckled marten is elongated with a cute sharp nose. The ears are medium in size, rounded.
These animals are nocturnal, in the dark it is easier for them to catch small mammal, ground bird or destroy the nest. In addition, quolls feed on insects, sometimes consuming carrion. From time to time they raid farms, where they strangle any birds that come across. Particularly courageous individuals are not afraid to sneak into a dwelling and steal food directly from the kitchens.
Due to their lifestyle, speckled martens have a very cautious stalking gait, but they can also make lightning-fast and jerky movements. Most These animals spend their lives on the ground, they climb trees very reluctantly, they do it poorly.
Listen to the voice of the marsupial marten
If there is an urgent need, then the marten can climb the sloping trunk. In too hot time, the animals hide in caves, in tree trunks, between stones. Martens drag bark and grass into these shelters, building nests.
The breeding season runs from May to September. During this period it is winter in Australia. One female gives birth to more than 4 babies, in captivity one speckled marsupial marten gave birth to 24 cubs. But, unfortunately, only those babies survive who are the first to find the nipple and attach to it, and there are only 6 nipples in the mother's pouch, therefore, only 6 of the strongest cubs survive.
The brood pouch of these martens is completely different from the kangaroo pouch: it is formed only during the breeding season, and is turned towards the tail. The babies do not leave the mother's pouch for about 8 weeks, after which they sit in the den while the female hunts.