Difference between revisions of "AY Honors/Marsupials/Answer Key"

Revision as of 21:59, 24 January 2006

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A pademelon is any of four species of small, kangaroo-like creatures that are usually found in forests. Pademelons are the smallest of the macropods.

Pademelons, wallabies, and kangaroos are all very alike in body structure, and the names just refer to the three different size groups. Originally wallabies were divided into small and large wallabies, but a more suitable name was needed to differentiate between them. The word "pademelon" is probably a corruption of their aboriginal name.

Besides their smaller size, pademelons can be distinguished from wallabies by their shorter, thicker, and sparsely haired tails.

Distribution and habitat

Red-necked Pademelons can be found in the coastal regions of Queensland and New South Wales. In some places their range has been drastically reduced. Red-legged Pademelons can also be found in south-central New Guinea.

File:Tasmanian-pademelon-eating-apple.jpg

Tasmanian pademelon eating a slice of apple, with her joyey

File:Tasmanian-pademelons-at-dusk.jpg

Tasmanian pademelons in Narawntapu National Park. The couple on the back is about to mate.

The Red-bellied or Tasmanian Pademelon is abundant in Tasmania. The Dusky Pademelon lives in Papua New Guinea and surrounding islands.

The natural habitat of the pademelon is in thick scrubland or dense forested undergrowth. They also make tunnels through long grasses and bushes in swampy country.

Diet and behavior

File:Female-pademelon-with-sweet-threequarter.jpg

Female pademelon (notice the full pouch) eating a slice of sweet potato on a small private reserve near Port Douglas, in Queensland

If there are no predators, such as dogs, they graze in the early mornings or evenings on grassy slopes near thickets, into which they can quickly escape at the first sign of danger. Having noticed danger, such as a python, they may try to warn others by stomping their feet on the ground producing surprisingly loud sound. Pademelons are nocturnal and tend to feed at night.

Their main diet is made up of grasses, leaves, and small shoots. They do little damage to crops and are not as aggressive as wallabies and kangaroos can be, making them gentle pets.

Normally, a group of females would stay on the territory with males showing up, only when one of the females is ready for mating. This is in contrast to the behavior of bigger kangaroos, who stay in mixed mobs with a male leader.

Problems faced

Pademelon meat used to be considered valuable, and was eaten by settlers and aborigines for a long time. It was once even suggested that they be introduced to France as a meat supply. Although their (like all kangaroos') meat is very low in fat and cholesterol, Australians today would consider it no more than "second grade" and strongly prefer lamb and beef instead.

Aside from being killed for their meat and soft fur, their numbers have been reduced by the introduction of predators such as feral cats, dogs, and foxes. The rabbit explosion has also caused problems, as rabbits graze on the same grasses making less available for the pademelon. Also, people clearing the land to make room for homes has pushed the larger wallabies and kangaroos into the land that the pademelons had been thriving in for so long.

Tasmanian Pademelons were important to the Thylacine's diet, and are still preyed on by quolls, Tasmanian Devils, Pythons, and Wedge-tailed Eagles. Despite these predators, there are many in Tasmania and its outlying smaller islands, and every year many are killed off to keep their numbers down.

Conservation status

Red-legged Pademelon (Thylogale stigmatica) - vulnerable
Red-necked Pademelon (Thylogale thetis) - common
Dusky Pademelon (Thylogale brunii) - vulnerable
Tasmanian or Red-bellied Pademelon (Thylogale billardierii) - partially protected

de:Filander ja:ヤブワラビー属

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Taxobox begin | color = pink | name = Quolls}}<br/>{{StatusVulnerable}}
+{{Taxobox begin | color = pink | name = Pademelons}}
-{{Taxobox image | image = [[Image:Tüpfelbeutelmarder brehm.png|200px]] | caption = Dasyurus}}
+{{Taxobox image | image = [[image:pademelon.jpg|200px]] | caption = }}
 {{Taxobox begin placement | color = pink}}
 {{Taxobox regnum entry | taxon = [[Animal]]ia}}
-{{Taxobox phylum entry | taxon = [[Chordate|Chordata]]}}
+{{Taxobox subregnum entry | taxon = [[Chordata]]}}
 {{Taxobox classis entry | taxon = [[Mammal]]ia}}
-{{Taxobox subclassis entry | taxon = [[Marsupialia]]}}
+{{Taxobox ordo entry | taxon = [[Diprotodontia]]}}
-{{Taxobox ordo entry | taxon = [[Dasyuromorphia]]}}
+{{Taxobox familia entry | taxon = [[Macropodidae]]}}
-{{Taxobox familia entry | taxon = [[Dasyuridae]]}}
+{{Taxobox genus entry | taxon = '''''Thylogale'''''}}
-{{Taxobox genus entry | taxon = '''''Dasyurus'''''}}<br/>{{Taxobox authority | author = [[Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire|É. Geoffroy]] | date = 1796}}
 {{Taxobox end placement}}
-{{Taxobox section subdivision | color = pink | plural_taxon = Species}}
+{{Taxobox section subdivision | color = pink | plural_taxon = [[Species]]}}
-See text.
+* ''[[Red-legged Pademelon|Thylogale stigmatica]]''
+* ''[[Red-necked Pademelon|Thylogale thetis]]''
+* ''[[Dusky Pademelon|Thylogale brunii]]''
+* ''[[Red-bellied Pademelon|Thylogale billardierii]]''
 {{Taxobox end}}
-'''Quolls''' (genus ''Dasyurus'') are [[carnivorous]] [[marsupial]]s, native to [[Australia]] and [[Papua New Guinea]]. Adults are between 25 and 75&nbsp;[[Centimeter|cm]] long, with hairy tails about 20-35&nbsp;cm long. Females have six to eight nipples and develop a pouch&mdash;which opens towards the tail&mdash;only during the breeding season, when they are rearing young. Quolls live both in forests and in open valley land. Though primarily ground-dwelling, they have developed secondary arboreal characteristics. Their molars and canines are strongly developed.
-== Taxonomy ==
+A '''pademelon''' is any of four species of small, kangaroo-like creatures that are usually found in forests. Pademelons are the smallest of the [[macropod]]s.
-Within the genus ''Dasyurus'', the following species exist:
+Pademelons, [[wallaby|wallabies]], and [[kangaroo]]s are all very alike in body structure, and the names just refer to the three different size groups. Originally wallabies were divided into small and large wallabies, but a more suitable name was needed to differentiate between them. The word "pademelon" is probably a corruption of their aboriginal name.
-*''[[Dasyurus albopunctatus]]'' &mdash; New Guinean Quoll, New Guinea
-*''[[Dasyurus geoffroii]]'' &mdash; Chuditch or Western Quoll, Western Australia
-*''[[Northern quoll|Dasyurus hallucatus]]'' &mdash; Northern Quoll, Northern Australia
-*''[[Dasyurus maculatus]]'' &mdash; Spotted Quoll (Tiger Quoll), Eastern Australia and [[Tasmania]]
-*''[[Dasyurus spartacus]]'' &mdash; Bronze Quoll, New Guinea
-*''[[Dasyurus viverrinus]]'' &mdash; Eastern Quoll, [[Tasmania]]
-== Western Quoll (chuditch) - Dasyurus geoffroii ==
+Besides their smaller size, pademelons can be distinguished from wallabies by their shorter, thicker, and sparsely haired tails.
-- The western quoll is mainly found in the southwest portion of Western Australia in the Jarrah forest, though their range once covered Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia.
+==Distribution and habitat==
-- Dasyurus geoffroii usually sport a brown or black (rarer) coat with white spots along their lean, short-legged bodies. The face is paler than the rest of the fur while the ears are white-rimmed.
+[[Red-necked Pademelon]]s can be found in the coastal regions of [[Queensland]] and [[New South Wales]]. In some places their range has been drastically reduced. [[Red-legged Pademelon]]s can also be found in south-central [[New Guinea]]. [[Image:Tasmanian-pademelon-eating-apple.jpg|thumb|right|Tasmanian pademelon eating a slice of apple, with her joyey]][[Image:Tasmanian-pademelons-at-dusk.jpg|thumb|left|Tasmanian pademelons in Narawntapu National Park. The couple on the back is about to mate.]]The Red-bellied or Tasmanian Pademelon is abundant in [[Tasmania]]. The Dusky Pademelon lives in [[Papua New Guinea]] and surrounding islands.
-- Western quolls are roughly the size of a cat and have pointed facial features along with large eyes and rounded ears. They measure roughly 36 cm to 46 cm in body length, tail length ranges from 22 to 30 cm. Females are the smaller of the species.
+The natural habitat of the pademelon is in thick scrubland or dense forested undergrowth. They also make tunnels through long grasses and bushes in swampy country.
-- Western quoll have a life span of 5.5 years in captivity and 3-4 years in the wild.
+==Diet and behavior==
-- Their diet is rather diverse, ranging from large insects, to small vertebrates, to carrion. In arid habitats they have been found to eat mammals the size of rabbits, lizards, frogs, and invertebrates. In forested habitats they consume insects, freshwater crustaceans, reptiles, parrot-sized birds, and rabbit-sized mammals. In human-settled areas they will raid chicken coops and rubbish bins.
+[[Image:Female-pademelon-with-sweet-threequarter.jpg|thumb|right|Female pademelon (notice the full pouch) eating a slice of sweet potato on a small private reserve near Port Douglas, in Queensland]]If there are no predators, such as dogs, they graze in the early mornings or evenings on grassy slopes near thickets, into which they can quickly escape at the first sign of danger. Having noticed danger, such as a [[python]], they may try to warn others by stomping their feet on the ground producing surprisingly loud sound. Pademelons are nocturnal and tend to feed at night.
-- Dasyurus geoffroii kills larger prey by biting the back of the head or neck. This carnivore is primarily a ground forager and nocturnal though it does occasionally climb trees.
+Their main diet is made up of grasses, leaves, and small shoots. They do little damage to crops and are not as aggressive as wallabies and kangaroos can be, making them gentle pets.
-Sources:
+Normally, a group of females would stay on the territory with males showing up, only when one of the females is ready for mating. This is in contrast to the behavior of bigger kangaroos, who stay in mixed mobs with a male leader.
-http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Dasyurus_geoffroii.html  http://www1.bushheritage.asn.au/default.aspx?MenuID=157&ContentID=264  http://www.marsupialcrc.com.au/webhome/Marsupial%20tales/Chuditch.htm  http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/bioinformatics/mammals/images/thumblmar.htm
-== Northern quoll - Dasyurus hallucatus ==
+==Problems faced==
--Dasyurus hallucatus now appears to be restricted to six areas in Australia: the Hamersley Range; the Northern Kimberley; northern and western Top End; Cape York tip; Atherton Tableland; and Carnarvon Range. In the past they lived over a larger range of northern Australia, extending from the Pilbara region of Western Australia to southeastern Queensland.
+Pademelon meat used to be considered valuable, and was eaten by settlers and aborigines for a long time. It was once even suggested that they be introduced to France as a meat supply. Although their (like all kangaroos') meat is very low in fat and cholesterol, Australians today would consider it no more than "second grade" and strongly prefer lamb and beef instead.
-- Dasyurus hallucatus is the smallest of the four quoll species, weighing, at most, 2 pounds. Males tend to be larger than females, ranging in weight from 400 grams to 900 grams. Females weigh between 300 grams and 500 grams. Differences in weights between sexes can be observed as early as five months of age. Head and body length of D. hallucatus ranges from 240 to 350 millimeters and tail length ranges from 210 to 310 millimeters.
+Aside from being killed for their meat and soft fur, their numbers have been reduced by the introduction of predators such as feral cats, dogs, and foxes. The [[rabbit (ecology)|rabbit]] explosion has also caused problems, as rabbits graze on the same grasses making less available for the pademelon. Also, people clearing the land to make room for homes has pushed the larger wallabies and kangaroos into the land that the pademelons had been thriving in for so long.
--Individuals have prominent white or cream blotches on the back and side of their grey-brown to brown coat. The tip and entire ventral surface of the tail is dark brown or black. Their coat is generally short and coarse, with little underfur. They have five toes and striated pads on the hindfeet, which are probably an adaptation for climbing on smooth, rocky surfaces.
+Tasmanian Pademelons were important to the [[Thylacine]]'s diet, and are still preyed on by [[quoll]]s, [[Tasmanian Devil]]s, [[Python]]s, and [[Wedge-tailed Eagle]]s. Despite these predators, there are many in Tasmania and its outlying smaller islands, and every year many are killed off to keep their numbers down.
--Little northern native cats are very aggressive carnivores . Their diet varies and can include mammals such as Large Rock Rats, Common Rock Rats, and Sandstone Antechinus, as well as reptiles, worms, ants, termites, grasshoppers, beetles, figs and other soft fruits.
+==Conservation status==
-Sources:
+* [[Red-legged Pademelon]] (''Thylogale stigmatica'') - vulnerable
-http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Dasyurus_hallucatus.html
+* [[Red-necked Pademelon]] (''Thylogale thetis'') - common
-http://www.2docstock.com/NT-Cobourg.html  http://www.2docstock.com/NT-animals.html  http://www.westernwildlife.com.au/western/mammals/quoll.htm
+* [[Dusky Pademelon]] (''Thylogale brunii'') - vulnerable
+* Tasmanian or [[Red-bellied Pademelon]] (''Thylogale billardierii'') - partially protected
-== Eastern Quoll - Dasyurus viverrinus ==
+[[de:Filander]]
+[[ja:&#12516;&#12502;&#12527;&#12521;&#12499;&#12540;&#23646;]]
-- Eastern quolls once lived in southeastern Australia, Tasmania, Kangaroo Island, and King Island (Nowak, 1991). They were last seen in the Sydney suburb of Vaucluse in the 1960's and are now extinct from the Australian mainland.
+[[category:Macropods]]
+[[Category:Australian animals]]
-- Eastern quolls are still common in Tasmania.
-- Eastern quolls are the size of small cats. Generally, females are smaller than males with females ranging from 600 to 1,030 grams and males ranging from 850 to 1,550 grams in weight. Head and body length ranges between 350 and 450 mm and tail length from 210 to 300 mm.
-- Fur colors range from black to brown or tan with white spots on their bodies. The tail may have a white tip. Quolls have a pink nose and ears, a thick snout, a pointed muzzle, and very sharp teeth.
-- Dasyurus viverrinus differs from other species in this genus in that it lacks a first toe on the hind foot and the pads of the feet are granulated, rather than striated as in the other species.
-- Eastern quolls are predatory, they are primarily nocturnal and feed mainly on insects, though small vertebrates (small marsupials, rats, rabbits, and mice), carrion, and some vegetable matter may be taken as well. Preferred foods are the cockshafer beetle, corbie shrub, dead animals, and fruit.
-Sources:
-http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Dasyurus_viverrinus.html http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/bioinformatics/mammals/images/thumblmar.htm
-== Tiger Quoll - Dasyurus maculatus ==
-- Dasyurus maculatus is found in Australia. There are two subspecies; D. maculatus gracilis, which inhabits northern Queensland, and D. maculatus maculatus, which is found from southern Queensland to Tasmania.
-- D. maculatus is the largest of the quolls with a body and head length of 400-750 mm and a tail length of 350-560 mm. It has an average adult wieght of two to three kg. Males have reached up to seven kg and females have reached up to four kg.
-- It can be identified by its dark brown fur and various sized white spots, and unlike other quolls, it has spots on its tail.
-- D. maculatus is largely carnivorous, with diet consisting mostly of small and medium-sized mammals, birds, invertebrates, reptiles, and sometimes, larger mammals. Medium sized mammals make up about two-thirds of their diet. Younger individuals tend to eat more smaller mammals than do the adults.
-- Quolls are effective hunters, but they also take carrion from dingo or dog kills. At times, they have raided poulty farms. In Tasmania, spotted tailed quolls often loose prey to Tasmanian devils because the quolls do not consume their prey quickly enough.
-Sources:
-http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Dasyurus_maculatus.html http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/bioinformatics/mammals/images/thumblmar.htm
-http://www.abc.net.au/illawarra/stories/s444977.htm http://www.talune.com.au/photos/tigquoll.html
-== New Guinean Quoll - Dasyurus albopunctatus ==
-- While, usually weighing just over a pound, the New Guinea quoll is the largest surviving marsupial carnivore of New Guinea's rainforests.
-- The New Guinea quoll is small and brown, with white spots on its back and a somewhat hairy tail.
-- It lives throughout the forested areas of New Guinea at elevations usually around 3,280 feet, but can be found at elevations up to 11,000 feet.
-- Said to eat prey as large as or larger than itself, most New Guineans acknowledge the quoll as a fierce predator and some refer to it as "stilman," a Pidgin term meaning "thief," because it often steals their prey.
-Sources:
-http://www.worldwildlife.org/expeditions/newguinea/spec_ngq.cfm
-http://www.bees.unsw.edu.au/staff/visiting/firestone/projects.html
-== Bronze Quoll - Dasyurus spartacus ==
-- Second species of New Guinean quoll.
-No other information available at this time.
-Sources: http://www.worldwildlife.org/expeditions/newguinea/spec_ngq.cfm http://www.bees.unsw.edu.au/staff/visiting/firestone/projects.html
-{{Australia-stub}}
-{{mammal-stub}}
-{{MEA-expand}}
-[[Category:Dasyuromorphs]]
-[[de:Beutelmarder]]
-[[es:Quoll oriental]]
-[[nl:Buidelmarters]]
-[[ru:Сумчатая куница]]