as the European settlers to Australia came, they found a group of carnivores, who called "native cats", "innate cats", it, there. Although they don't look like a house-cat, this name lasted until today.
Physique This "native cats" or bag-martens are weasels - until raccoon-big and reminds at martens or small-bears also in its look. its head-torso-length is between 17 and 75 cm. The tail usually is thin and quite long. The stretched body is carried by powerful legs, that long, bekrallte toes have. The front-feet are trained as hands, with which the animals can grasp well. Almost parchment-nicely thinly, the moderate-sized, movable ears work. they are only little hairy or quite bare. If you open the pharynxes a bag-marten, so it shows a remarkable carnivore-denture. The teeth of the upper jaw are usually more strongly than this developed in the lower jaw. Dolchartig sharpens, upper cuspids still show the carnivore also with closed mouth. One very powerful Kaumuskulatur makes the altogether 42 teeth to an effective weapon, with which they are able to handle also cats and smaller dogs very much probably. Once who the threatening opened pharynx of a Tasmanian devil seen or unpleasant acquaintance with the pointed teeth of another bag-marten did, its effectiveness certainly will never underestimate. Female bag-martens have a bag, that is opened downward or behind, at the stomach. However, it is fully developed only during the time of the Jungenaufzucht mostly. Otherwise, one recognizes only a horseshoe-shaped skin-embankment.
Way of life Bag-martens usually oversleep the light day in a sure shelter and become lively only in the twilight. Also completely tame animals don't adapt but don't keep its preference for the darkness. During the day, they move only slowly and make a quite sleepy impression. That may be a reason about that one marked the marsupials earlier than dull. Unfortunately, this opinion is widespread also still today. In the evening, however, bag-martens awaken to full life. The big, naked eyes, the aware game of the ears and the constantly sniffing nose clearly show the awake senses of these carnivores. Nobody, that ever experienced the unquenchable curiosity and playfulness of a bag-marten, would call it dull.
Nutrition Because of its nightly way of life, one knows only little about the behavior of these animals. they live mainly predatorily, however, also sweet fruit and juicy plant-parts don't spurn. What they can overpower falls victim to them everything on its nightly expeditions. Worms, insects, lizards, snakes and small mammals, belong to its loot-animals. Also bird-nests frequently are plundered by them. The loot is packed in a flash with the teeth and to then is held on with the front-paws. Smaller pieces are consumed upright sedentary. Loot, that is too big, in order to immediately be consumed is brought at a protected place and is eaten there first.
To the time of Australia's settling of the Europeans, bag-martens made themselves very unpopular as they forced their way into their poultry-stalls. According to some reports, they are supposed to have fallen into a killing-intoxication on that occasion as it is repeated also our native martens. However, statements about the blood-greed of the bag-martens are controversial. The raids on the poultry excited the hate of the immigrants and led to the extermination of this Raubbeutler in many areas. Because of the strong prosecutions, they became very shy and, to therefore observe heavily. Nevertheless they followed the human being as far as into the outskirts of the cities where they assert themselves also opposite introduced placenta-animals like dogs, cats and martens successfully. From the human being come up, bag-martens become completely tame and very affectionate.
Reproduction One knows only little about the reproduction of most bag-marten-types. Is more exact known from the dot-bag-marten (Dasyurus streamed). In the Australian winter, between May and August, it was born 5-8 kids after a Tragzeit of approximately 11 days. Since only 6 teats exist in the mother's bag, all remaining young perish. they are approximately 7 mm long in the birth. With these only low developed, larva-like looking animals, those are well trained front-limbs, whose pointed claws are an imperative help on the laborious way of the birth-opening as far as to the protective bag. They open the eyes 11 weeks after the birth, and 4 weeks later, they already leave the bag occasionally. They are independent by the mother in the age of 41/2 months, and with approximately one year, they are adult. In captivity of reached bag-martens an old of almost 7 years. They probably become not so old in freedom.
System Bag-martens are spread over Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea and the surrounding islands with 3 types and 7 types.
The stain-bag-martens (type Dasyurus) have the biggest spread-area with its 4 types. The dot-bag-marten (Dasyurus streamed) is the most known representative of this Raubbeutlergruppe. its torso becomes 35-45 cm long, the tail 21-30 cm. The pointed head with the pink muzzle-top, that big, dark eyes and the positioned, cat-similar ears lend, the animal an awake expression. The dense, long fur is olivgrau brightly or dun with irregular white stains. However, the dark form is rare. The feet lack the big-toes. This type lives mainly on the ground, can nevertheless climb well, however.
The previous one very similar is the black-tail-bag-marten (Dasyurus geoffroyi). However, the tail is brightly olivgrau at the root like the remaining fur, on the end black. The rear-feet carry 5 toes.
Until 75 cm long becomes the stain-tail or giant-bag-marten (Dasyurus maculatus), a 34-55 cm long tail comes to it. it is yellow - stained colored and white until dun. The rear-feet carry 5 toes. Sharp claws and thickens, gerippte sole-bale turn it into a skillful climber.
The dwarf-stain-bag-marten (Dasyurus hallucatus), who is known also under the old generic term Satanellus ("devils little"), reaches only 30 cm of length. its fur is gray-yellow or reddish-brown and colored occasionally black at the back. The tail-top is black.
Only one type of the type Myoictis is the strip-bag-marten (Myoictis melas). The weasel-similar animals have a pointed head and small ears. Oberseits are it colored bay and carry 3 black vertical stripes on the back. Head, underside and front-legs are yellow until reddish, the hind legs gray-yellow until bay. The tail is brown-black. Big-toe and sole-bale exist. Strip-bag-martens live in New Guinea and the Aru-Inseln.
Also the third type, Sarcophilus, shows only one type, the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisi). In its outer appearance, it yields considerably from the remaining bag-martens on.
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