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

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{{honor_header|??|????|South Pacific Division<br>2001 Edition}}
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{{Taxobox
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==1. Distinguish:==
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| color = pink
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===a. Mammal from other animals.===
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| name = Pademelons
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The mammals are the class of vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of mammary glands, which in females produce milk for the nourishment of young.
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| image = pademelon.jpg
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| image_width = 200px
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| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
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| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
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| classis = [[Mammal]]ia
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| infraclassis = [[Marsupialia]]
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| ordo = [[Diprotodontia]]
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| familia = [[Macropodidae]]
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| subfamilia = [[Macropodinae]]
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| genus = '''''Thylogale'''''
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| genus_authority = [[John Edward Gray|Gray]], [[1837]]
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| type_species = ''[[Red-necked Pademelon|Halmaturus (Thylogale) eugenii]]''
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| type_species_authority = [[John Edward Gray|Gray]], [[1837]]<br>(= ''Halmaturus thetis'' [[René-Primevère Lesson|Lesson]], [[1828]])
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| subdivision_ranks = [[Species]]
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| subdivision =  
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* ''[[Tasmanian Pademelon|Thylogale billardierii]]''
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* ''[[Brown's Pademelon|Thylogale browni]]''
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* ''[[Duskky Pademelon|Thylogale brunii]]''
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* ''[[Calaby's Pademelon|Thylogale calabyi]]''
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* ''[[Mountain Pademelon|Thylogale lanatus]]''
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* ''[[Red-legged Pademelon|Thylogale stigmatica]]''
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* ''[[Red-necked Pademelon|Thylogale thetis]]''
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}}
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[[Image:Tasmanian-pademelon-eating-apple.jpg|thumb|right|Tasmanian pademelon eating a slice of apple, with her joey]]
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[[Image:Female-pademelon-with-sweet-threequarter.jpg|thumb|right|Female (notice the full pouch) red-legged pademelon eating a slice of [[sweet potato]] on a small private reserve near [[Port Douglas, Queensland]]]]
  
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===b. Placentals, marsupials and monotremes from one another.===
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A '''pademelon''' is any of seven species of small, [[kangaroo]]-like creatures that are usually found in forests. Pademelons are the smallest of the [[macropod]]s. The name is a corruption of ''badimaliyan'', from the [[Dharuk]] [[Indigenous Australians|Aboriginal]] language of [[Port Jackson]].
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;Placentals: The placentals are distinguished from other mammals in that the fetus is nourished during pregnancy via a placenta.
 
  
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;Marsupials:Marsupials are mammals in which the female typically has a pouch (called the marsupium) in which it rears its young through early infancy. They differ from placental mammals in their reproductive traits.
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Pademelons, [[wallaby|wallabies]], and [[kangaroo]]s are 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.
  
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;Monotremes: Monotremes are mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young like marsupials and placental mammals.
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Besides their smaller size, pademelons can be distinguished from wallabies by their shorter, thicker, and sparsely haired tails.  
  
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==2. Understand how marsupials are classified into families and describe, in a general way, the habits of these families.==
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==Distribution and habitat==
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Marsupials are classed mainly by their dietary habits.
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[[Image:Tasmanian-pademelons-at-dusk.jpg|thumb|left|Tasmanian pademelons in Narawntapu National Park. The pair at the back are about to mate.]]
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;Herbivorous marsupials: (such as kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, wombats, and possums) eat only plants.
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[[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]]. The Red-bellied or Tasmanian Pademelon is abundant in [[Tasmania]]. The Dusky Pademelon lives in [[Papua New Guinea]] and surrounding islands. It was previously called the Aru Island Wallaby. Before that, it was called the Filander. This name occurred in a translation of [[C. de Bruyns Travels]] published in [[1737]].
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;Carnivorous marsupials: (such as tasmanian devils, numbats, and quolls) eat only meat. They are very similar to one another in shape, though their sizes vary considerably.
 
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;Omnivorous Marsupials: (such as opposums) eat just about anything they can find.
 
  
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==3. Describe the distribution, habitat (ie. type of country they live in), diet breeding behavior, as well as any other interesting information of twelve different groups of marsupials and monotremes.==
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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.
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<gallery>
 
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Image:AwesomePossum-AmericanOpossum.jpg|Opossum
 
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Image:Shrew opossum - Caenolestidae.png|Shrew Opossum
 
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Image:Tasdevil large.jpg|Tasmanian Devil
 
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Image:Numbat at Perth Zoo.jpg|Numbat
 
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Image:SpottedQuoll 2005 SeanMcClean.jpg|Quoll
 
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Image:Kangaroo and joey03.jpg|Kangaroo
 
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Image:Red-necked-Wallaby.jpg|Wallaby
 
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Image:Brushtail possum.jpg|Possum
 
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Image:Koala climbing tree.jpg|Koala
 
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Image:Wombat at Lone Pine.jpg|Wombat
 
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</gallery>
 
  
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===Opossums===
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==Diet and behavior==
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Opossums are nocturnal marsupials found in the Western Hemisphere.  They are small to medium-sized creatures, about the size of a large house cat.  Although there are many exceptions, most of them spend time living both in trees and on the ground, and they eat many different things (plants and animals).
 
  
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Opossums are usually nomadic, staying in one area as long as food and water are easily available. Though they will temporarily occupy abandoned burrows, they do not dig or put much effort into building their own. They favor dark, secure areas, below ground or above.
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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.
  
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When threatened or harmed, they will "play possum", mimicking the appearance and smell of a sick or dead animal. The lips are drawn back, teeth are bared, saliva foams around the mouth, and a foul-smelling fluid is secreted from glands. This response is involuntary, rather than a conscious act. Their stiff, curled form can be prodded, turned over, and even carried away. Many injured opossums have been killed by well-meaning people who find a catatonic animal and assume the worst. If you find an injured or apparently dead opossum, the best thing to do is leave it in a quiet place with a clear exit path. In minutes or hours, the animal will regain consciousness and escape quietly on its own.
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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.
  
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===Shrew Opossums===
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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.
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Shrew opossums (also known as rat opossums) are about the size of a small rat (9–14 cm long), with thin limbs, a long, pointed snout and a slender, hairy tail. They are largely meat-eaters, being active hunters of insects, earthworms and small vertebrates. They have small eyes and poor sight, and hunt in the early evening and at night, using their hearing and long, sensitive whiskers to locate prey. They seem to spend much of their lives in underground burrows and on surface runways.
 
  
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Largely because of their rugged, inaccessible habitat, they are very poorly known and have traditionally been considered rare. Recent studies suggest that they may be more common than had been thought.
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==Problems faced==
  
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===Tasmanian Devil===
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Pademelon meat used to be considered valuable and was eaten by settlers and aborigines for a long time. It was once suggested that they be introduced to France as a meat supply. Although their meat is very low in fat and cholesterol (like that of all kangaroos), Australians today would consider it no more than "second grade" and strongly prefer lamb and beef instead.
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===Numbat===
 
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===Dunnart===
 
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===Quoll===
 
  
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===Kangaroos===
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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, clearing of land for homes has pushed the larger wallabies and kangaroos into land that pademelons had been thriving in for so long.
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There are three species of kangaroo:
 
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* The '''Red Kangaroo''' (Macropus rufus) is the largest surviving marsupial anywhere in the world. Fewer in numbers, the Red Kangaroos occupy the arid and semi-arid centre of the continent. A large male can be 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) tall and weigh 90 kg (200 lb).
 
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* The '''Eastern Grey Kangaroo''' (Macropus giganteus) is less well-known than the red (outside of Australia), but the most often seen, as its range covers the fertile eastern part of the continent.
 
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* The '''Western Grey Kangaroo''' (Macropus fuliginosus) is slightly smaller again at about 54 kg (119 lb) for a large male. It is found in the southern part of Western Australia, South Australia near the coast, and the Darling River basin.
 
  
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===Wallabies===
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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.
  
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Essentially, a wallaby is any macropod that isn't large enough to be considered a kangaroo and has not been given some other name. There is no fixed dividing line. In general, a wallaby is smaller and has a stockier build than a kangaroo; a wallaroo is any of a few species somewhat intermediate in size between a wallaby and a kangaroo.
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==Species==
  
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===Possums===
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* [[Tasmanian Pademelon]], ''Thylogale billardierii''
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Possums are small marsupials with brown or grey fur, ranging in size from the length of a finger (pygmy possums and wrist-winged gliders), to the length of a forearm (brushtails and ringtails). All possums are nocturnal and omnivorous, hiding in a nest in a hollow tree during the day and coming out during the night to forage for food. They fill much the same role in the Australian ecosystem that squirrels fill in the northern hemisphere and are broadly similar in appearance.
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* [[Brown's Pademelon]], ''Thylogale browni''
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* [[Dusky Pademelon]], ''Thylogale brunii''
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The two most common species of possums, the Common Brushtail and Common Ringtail, are also among the largest.
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* [[Calaby's Pademelon]], ''Thylogale calabyi''
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* [[Mountain Pademelon]], ''Thylogale lanatus''
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===Koalas===
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* [[Red-legged Pademelon]], ''Thylogale stigmatica''
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* [[Red-necked Pademelon]], ''Thylogale thetis''
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The Koala is broadly similar in appearance to the wombat, but has a thicker, more luxurious coat, much larger ears, and longer limbs, which are equipped with large, sharp claws to assist with climbing. Weight varies from about 14 kg for a large, southern male, to about 5 kg for a small northern female. Contrary to popular belief, their fur is thick, not soft and cuddly. Koalas' five fingers per paw are arranged with the first two as opposable thumbs, providing better gripping ability.
 
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===Wombats===
 
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Wombats are Australian marsupials; they are short-legged, muscular quadrupeds, approximately one meter (3 feet) in length and with a very short tail. Wombats have an extraordinarily slow metabolism, taking around 14 days to complete digestion, and generally move slowly. When required, however, they can reach up to 40 km/h and maintain that speed for up to 90 seconds.
 
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When attacked, they can summon immense reserves of strength — one defense of a wombat against a predator (such as a Dingo) underground is to crush it against the roof of the tunnel until it stops breathing.
 
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==4. Be able to explain the difference between marsupial reproduction and that in true mammals (ie. placentals).==
 
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The pregnant female marsupial develops a kind of yolk sack in her womb which delivers nutrients to the embryo. The embryo is born at a very early stage of development (at about 4-5 weeks), upon which it crawls up its mother's belly and attaches itself to a nipple (which is located inside the pouch). It remains attached to the nipple for a number of weeks. The offspring later passes through a stage where it temporarily leaves the pouch, returning for warmth and nourishment.
 
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The placenta is a temporary organ composed of two parts, one of which is part of the fetus, the other part of the mother. It is implanted in the wall of the uterus, where it receives nutrients and oxygen from the mother's blood and passes out waste. This interface forms a barrier, the placental barrier, which filters out some substances which could harm the fetus.
 
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==5. Explain the significance of the direction of opening of the pouch and the number of young per litter in marsupials.==
 
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==6. Give an explanation of the unique occurrence of marsupials in Australia.==
 
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==7. Be able to explain the need for conservation of our marsupials.==
 
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==8. Write a report of your visit to a natural history museum, wild-life sanctuary, zoo, etc. indicating in about 10-15 lines, the extent of your observations.==
 
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
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*{{MSW3 Groves|pages=69}}
  
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{{1911}}
  
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[[Category:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book]]
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[[category:Macropods]]
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[[Category:Mammals of Australia]]
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[[Category:Australian Aboriginal terms]]
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[[de:Filander]]
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[[fr:Thylogale]]
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[[lt:Filanderiai]]
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[[ja:ヤブワラビー属]]

Revision as of 15:39, 28 November 2006

Template:Taxobox

File:Tasmanian-pademelon-eating-apple.jpg
Tasmanian pademelon eating a slice of apple, with her joey
File:Female-pademelon-with-sweet-threequarter.jpg
Female (notice the full pouch) red-legged pademelon eating a slice of sweet potato on a small private reserve near Port Douglas, Queensland

A pademelon is any of seven species of small, kangaroo-like creatures that are usually found in forests. Pademelons are the smallest of the macropods. The name is a corruption of badimaliyan, from the Dharuk Aboriginal language of Port Jackson.

Pademelons, wallabies, and kangaroos are 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.

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

Distribution and habitat

File:Tasmanian-pademelons-at-dusk.jpg
Tasmanian pademelons in Narawntapu National Park. The pair at the back are about to mate.

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. The Red-bellied or Tasmanian Pademelon is abundant in Tasmania. The Dusky Pademelon lives in Papua New Guinea and surrounding islands. It was previously called the Aru Island Wallaby. Before that, it was called the Filander. This name occurred in a translation of C. de Bruyns Travels published in 1737.

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

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 suggested that they be introduced to France as a meat supply. Although their meat is very low in fat and cholesterol (like that of all kangaroos), 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, clearing of land for homes has pushed the larger wallabies and kangaroos into land that 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.

Species

References

Template:1911 de:Filander fr:Thylogale lt:Filanderiai ja:ヤブワラビー属

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