Marsupial anteaters (or, as they are also called,"Nambat" or "Murashida") are rare animals. They are small - the size of a squirrel. Relate to the family of marsupials. Today we have to get to know this amazing animal and learn a lot of interesting things about it.
The length of the animal is from 17 to 27 centimeters, and the tailhas a length of 13 to 17 centimeters. Males are larger than females. The weight of one animal can range from 270 to 550 grams. Puberty is achieved at the age of 11 months.
Wool from representatives of the marsupial familyAnteaters short, but thick and stiff. Color gray, red with white wool. On the back are drawn 8 white strips. With regard to the trunk, the animals have a very long and fluffy tail. The elongated bony nose is adapted to dig the ground in search of food. A long sticky tongue is an excellent trap for favorite termites.
The marsupial anteater leads a daily life, andAfter a hearty lunch he likes to sleep - to soak up the sunlight. A very amusing picture of watching him: lying on his back with outstretched paws and his tongue sticking out, he blissfully.
With a strong heat hiding in the foliage or hollowtree. He has such a deep sleep that if you take him in his arms, he will not even wake up. Being not so watchful animal, he risks to die by imprudence. Especially it concerns forest fires, which are not so rare for the place of its habitat. Sluggish Nambats perish in the fire, not having time to wake up in time.
And where do the marsupial anteaters live? We can answer this question below.
Until the end of the XVIII century, the population was widelyis common in western and southern Australia. But after the European colonization of the continent, these animals decreased significantly in quantity. And many of them preserved the areola of their habitat in the southwestern part of the continent in eucalyptus, acacia forests and woodlands.
Such a choice of terrain for marsupial anteater is notoccasional: Termite-affected eucalyptus leaves are thrown to the ground. And this is for him food (in the form of termites) and shelter from the leaves of the tree. It can be found running on the ground or moving jumps. Periodically, he gets up on his hind legs to look around for safety reasons. If he sees a bird of prey in the sky, he will hurry to hide in the shelter.
A photo of a marsupial anteater during a test of the terrain for the presence of a predator helps to imagine what this animal looks like.
Marsupial anteater feed on insects,The favorite food for him are termites or ants, large insects. Due to its sharp sense of smell, it can find its food even under the ground or leaves. If necessary, he can resort to the help of his powerful claws to make his way through the wood to his delicacy.
A murasheed has a long tongue that canprotrude up to 10 centimeters in length. Language, like a velcro, captures its prey. When catching on the tongue, small stones, earth or other objects may come across. All this he several times rolled in his mouth, then swallows.
What is remarkable, the teeth of the animal are small andweak. They have an asymmetrical shape and can be of different lengths and even widths. The teeth are about 50-52 pieces. The hard palate extends further than most mammals. But this feature is related to the length of his language.
Marsupial anteaters lead a solitary life. But when the time comes for the mating season, the males start looking for the female. This happens from December to April.
From January to May in the prepared lovingthe parents of the nest, there are very tiny centimeter cubs of anteaters. In the litter of 2 to 4 kids. The bag for brood in the female is absent, therefore they hang on the nipples, firmly holding on to the mother's fur. About 4 months this period lasts until they reach a size of up to 4-5 centimeters. All this time the lactation period lasts, which ends 4 months after their birth.
From this time the female can leave youngsome in the hole. After reaching half a year, small nabibs can independently procure their own food. But they continue to live in the territory together with their mother. By December (the beginning of summer in Australia), the young generation begins an adult and independent life, leaving the parent mink.
Due to the fact that in the habitat of the marsupialanteater has a large number of foxes, feral dogs and cats, and flying predators do not lose their vigilance, the Nambat population has declined sharply. In particular, this was due to the importation of red foxes to the continent in the 19th century. In the late 70s of the last century in southern Australia and the Northern Territory there were only about 1,000 individuals.
Also the extension of agriculturalThe human activity affected the disappearance of the marsupial anteater. Loggers and farmers burned fallen dry branches, branches, remains after felled trees. As a result, many sleeping murasteheds in these branches and grasses were burned by carelessness of the person.
Currently, the population is maintained artificially, which allows to increase and save these animals.
The life span of the animal reaches 4-6 years.
Nambat is an animal listed in the Red Book, has the status of "vulnerable", that is, on the verge of extinction.
Today we had a chance to get acquainted with the uniqueanimals from the continent of Australia - marsupial anteater. This is an interesting animal from the point of view of observation. It is incapable of aggression and self-defense. Possessing information about its red book status, it is undoubtedly worth taking with attention and care to this sweet little animal. Keeping the life of Red Book species is a priority for humanity.
