Marsupial anteater or nambat. Anteater - the most tongued animal on Earth Marsupial animal feeds on termites and ants

Subspecies

The marsupial anteater forms 2 subspecies:

Appearance

The dimensions of this marsupial are small: body length 17-27 cm, tail - 13-17 cm. The weight of an adult animal is 280-550 g; males are larger than females. The head of the marsupial anteater is flattened, the muzzle is elongated and pointed, the mouth is small. The worm-like tongue can protrude from the mouth by almost 10 cm. The eyes are large, the ears are pointed. The tail is long, fluffy, like a squirrel, not grasping. Usually the nambat holds it horizontally, with the tip slightly curved upwards. The paws are rather short, widely spaced, armed with strong claws. Forelimbs with 5 fingers, hind limbs with 4.

The hairline of the nambat is thick and hard. The nambat is one of Australia's most beautiful marsupials: it is greyish-brown or rufous in color. The hair on the back and upper thighs is covered with 6-12 white or cream stripes. The eastern nambats have a more uniform color than the western ones. A black longitudinal stripe is visible on the muzzle, running from the nose through the eye to the ear. The belly and limbs are yellow-white, buffy.

The teeth of the marsupial anteater are very small, weak and often asymmetrical: the molars on the right and left can have different lengths and widths. In total, the nambat has 50-52 teeth. The hard palate stretches much further than in most mammals, which is typical for other "long-tongued" animals (pangolins, armadillos). Females have 4 nipples. The brood bag is missing; there is only a milky field bordered by curly hair.

Lifestyle and nutrition

Before the start of European colonization, the nambat was distributed in Western and South Australia, from the borders of New South Wales and Victoria to the coast of the Indian Ocean, in the north reaching the southwestern part of the Northern Territory. The range is now restricted to southwestern Western Australia. It inhabits mainly eucalyptus and acacia forests and dry woodlands.

Nambat feeds almost exclusively on termites, less often on ants. It eats other invertebrates only occasionally. It is the only marsupial that only feeds on social insects; captive marsupial anteater daily eats up to 20 thousand termites. Nambat searches for food with the help of its extremely acute sense of smell. With the claws of its front paws, it digs up the soil or breaks up rotten wood, then it catches termites with a sticky tongue. Nambat swallows prey whole or slightly chewed chitin shells.

It is quite remarkable that this beast during the meal does not pay any attention to the surroundings. At such moments, you can stroke it or even pick it up.

Since the limbs and claws of the marsupial anteater (unlike other myrmecophages - echidnas, anteaters, aardvarks) are weak and unable to cope with a strong termite mound, it hunts mainly during the day, when insects in search of food move along underground galleries or under the bark of trees. Nambat daily activity synchronized with termite activity and temperature environment. So in the summer, by the middle of the day, the soil warms up very much, and the insects go deep underground, so the nambats switch to a twilight lifestyle; in winter, they feed from morning until noon, for about 4 hours a day.

Nambat is quite agile, can climb trees; at the slightest danger hides in a shelter. He spends the night in secluded places (shallow burrows, hollows of trees) on a litter of bark, leaves and dry grass. His sleep is very deep, similar to suspended animation. There are many cases when people, along with deadwood, accidentally burned nambats, who did not have time to wake up. Except for the breeding season, marsupial anteaters keep alone, occupying an individual territory of up to 150 hectares. When caught, the nambat does not bite or scratch, but only whistles or grumbles abruptly.

reproduction

The mating season for nambats lasts from December to April. At this time, the males leave their hunting grounds and go in search of females, marking the trees and the ground with an oily secret, which is produced by a special skin gland on the chest.

Tiny (10 mm long), blind and naked cubs are born 2 weeks after mating. There are 2-4 cubs in a litter. Since the female does not have a brood pouch, they hang on the nipples, clinging to the mother's fur. According to some reports, childbirth occurs in a hole 1-2 m long. The female carries the cubs on her stomach for about 4 months, until their size reaches 4-5 cm. Then she leaves the offspring in a shallow hole or hollow, continuing to come at night to feed. By the beginning of September, young nambats begin to leave the burrow for a while. By October they are on a mixed diet of termites and mother's milk. The young remain with their mother for up to 9 months, finally leaving her in December. Sexual maturity occurs in the second year of life.

Life expectancy (in captivity) - up to 6 years.

Population status and protection

In connection with the economic development and clearing of land, the number of marsupial anteater has sharply decreased. However, the main reason for the decrease in its numbers is the pursuit of predators. Because of their diurnal lifestyle, nambats are more vulnerable than most small marsupials; they are being hunted predator birds, dingoes, feral dogs and cats, and especially red foxes, which in the 19th century. brought to Australia. Foxes have completely wiped out the nambat population in Victoria, South Australia and the Northern Territory; they survived only in the form of two small populations near Perth. In the late 1970s nambats numbered less than 1000 individuals.

As a result of intensive protective measures, the destruction of foxes and the reintroduction of nambats, the population was able to increase. The nambat population is actively farmed in Australia's Sterling Range Conservation Park. However, this animal is still included in the lists of the International Red Book with the status of "endangered" ( endangered).

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Notes

Links

• // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.

An excerpt characterizing the marsupial anteater

Returning from his second preoccupied trip down the line, Napoleon said:
The chess is set, the game will start tomorrow.
Ordering himself a punch and calling Bosse, he began a conversation with him about Paris, about some changes that he intended to make in the maison de l "imperatrice [in the court staff of the empress], surprising the prefect with his memory of all the small details of court relations.
He was interested in trifles, joked about Bosse's love of travel and casually chatted like a famous, confident and knowledgeable cameraman does, while he rolls up his sleeves and puts on an apron, and the patient is tied to a bunk: “It's all in my hands and in the head, clear and definite. When I need to get down to business, I will do it like no other, and now I can joke, and the more I joke and calm, the more you should be sure, calm and surprised at my genius.
Having finished his second glass of punch, Napoleon went to rest before the serious business, which, as it seemed to him, was coming to him the next day.
He was so interested in this task ahead of him that he could not sleep and, despite the runny nose that had worsened from the evening dampness, at three o'clock in the morning, blowing his nose loudly, he went out into the large compartment of the tent. He asked if the Russians had left? He was told that the enemy fires were still in the same places. He nodded his head approvingly.
The duty adjutant entered the tent.
- Eh bien, Rapp, croyez vous, que nous ferons do bonnes affaires aujourd "hui? [Well, Rapp, what do you think: will our affairs be good today?] - he turned to him.
- Sans aucun doute, Sire, [Without any doubt, sovereign,] - answered Rapp.
Napoleon looked at him.
- Vous rappelez vous, Sire, ce que vous m "avez fait l" honneur de dire a Smolensk, - said Rapp, - le vin est tire, il faut le boire. [Do you remember, sir, those words that you deigned to say to me in Smolensk, the wine is uncorked, you must drink it.]
Napoleon frowned and sat silently for a long time, his head resting on his hand.
“Cette pauvre armee,” he said suddenly, “elle a bien diminue depuis Smolensk.” La fortune est une franche courtisane, Rapp; je le disais toujours, et je commence a l "eprouver. Mais la garde, Rapp, la garde est intacte? [Poor army! It has greatly decreased from Smolensk. Fortune is a real whore, Rapp. I have always said this and am beginning to experience it. But the guard, Rapp, are the guards intact?] he said inquiringly.
- Oui, Sire, [Yes, sir.] - answered Rapp.
Napoleon took a lozenge, put it in his mouth and looked at his watch. He did not want to sleep, it was still far from morning; and in order to kill time, it was no longer possible to issue any orders, because everything had been made and was now being carried out.
– A t on distribue les biscuits et le riz aux regiments de la garde? [Have they distributed crackers and rice to the guardsmen?] Napoleon asked sternly.
– Oui, Sire. [Yes, sir.]
Mais le riz? [But rice?]
Rapp replied that he had conveyed the sovereign's orders about rice, but Napoleon shook his head in displeasure, as if he did not believe that his order would be carried out. The servant entered with punch. Napoleon ordered another glass to be served to Rapp and silently sipped from his own.
“I have no taste or smell,” he said, sniffing the glass. - This cold has bothered me. They talk about medicine. What kind of medicine when they can not cure the common cold? Corvisart gave me these lozenges, but they do nothing. What can they treat? Cannot be treated. Notre corps est une machine a vivre. Il est organise pour cela, c "est sa nature; laissez y la vie a son aise, qu" elle s "y defende elle meme: elle fera plus que si vous la paralysiez en l" encombrant de remedes. notre corps est comme une montre parfaite qui doit aller un certain temps; l "horloger n" a pas la faculte de l "ouvrir, il ne peut la manier qu" a tatons et les yeux bandes. Notre corps est une machine a vivre, voila tout. [Our body is a machine for life. It is designed for this. Leave life alone in him, let her defend herself, she will do more alone than when you interfere with her with medicines. Our body is like a clock that must run a certain time; the watchmaker cannot open them and only by groping and blindfolded can he operate them. Our body is a machine for life. That's all.] - And as if embarking on the path of definitions, definitions that Napoleon loved, he suddenly made a new definition. “Do you know, Rapp, what the art of war is?” - he asked. - The art of being stronger than the enemy at a certain moment. Voila tout. [That's all.]
Rapp didn't answer.
Demainnous allons avoir affaire a Koutouzoff! [Tomorrow we will deal with Kutuzov!] - said Napoleon. - Let's see! Remember, in Braunau he commanded an army and not once in three weeks did he mount his horse to inspect the fortifications. Let's see!

Marsupial anteater or nambat- a rare mammal of the marsupial anteater family; the only representative of the family of the same name.

The dimensions of this marsupial are small: body length 17-27 cm, tail - 13-17 cm. The weight of an adult animal ranges from 280 to 550 g; males are larger than females. The head of the marsupial anteater is flattened, the muzzle is elongated and pointed, the mouth is small. The worm-like tongue can protrude from the mouth by almost 10 cm. The eyes are large, the ears are pointed. The tail is long, fluffy, like a squirrel, not grasping. Usually the nambat holds it horizontally, with the tip slightly curved upwards. The paws are rather short, widely spaced, armed with strong claws.

The hairline of the nambat is thick and hard. Nambat is one of the most beautiful marsupials of australia: it is colored grayish brown or reddish. The hair on the back and upper thighs is covered with 6-12 white or cream stripes. The eastern nambats have a more uniform color than the western ones. A black longitudinal stripe is visible on the muzzle. The belly and limbs are yellow-white, buffy.

The teeth of the marsupial anteater are very small, weak and often asymmetrical: the molars on the right and left can have different lengths and widths. In total, the nambat has 50-52 teeth.

Prior to European colonization, the nambat was common in Western and Southern Australia, from the borders of New South Wales and Victoria to the coast. indian ocean, in the north reaching the southwestern part of the Northern Territory. Now the range is limited only to the south-west of Western Australia. Nambat inhabits mainly eucalyptus and acacia forests and dry woodlands.

Nambat feeds almost exclusively on termites, less often on ants. It eats other invertebrates only occasionally. In captivity, the marsupial anteater eats up to 20,000 termites daily. Nambat searches for food with the help of its extremely acute sense of smell.

Since the limbs and claws of the marsupial anteater (unlike other myrmecophages - echidnas, anteaters, aardvarks) are weak and unable to cope with a strong termite mound, it hunts mainly during the day, when insects move in underground galleries or under the bark of trees in search of food. The daily activity of the nambat is synchronized with the activity of termites and the ambient temperature. So in the summer, by the middle of the day, the soil warms up very much, and the insects go deep underground, so the nambats switch to a twilight lifestyle; in winter, they feed from morning until noon, for about 4 hours a day.

Nambat is quite agile, can climb trees; at the slightest danger hides in a shelter. He spends the night in secluded places (shallow burrows, hollows of trees) on a litter of bark, leaves and dry grass. His sleep is very deep, similar to suspended animation. There are many cases when people, along with deadwood, accidentally burned nambats, who did not have time to wake up. Except for the breeding season, marsupial anteaters keep alone, occupying an individual territory of up to 150 hectares. When caught, the nambat does not bite or scratch, but only whistles or grumbles abruptly.

The mating season for nambats lasts from December to April. The female carries the cubs on her stomach for about 4 months, until their size reaches 4-5 cm. Then she leaves the offspring in a shallow hole or hollow, continuing to come at night to feed. The young remain with their mother for up to 9 months, finally leaving her in December. Sexual maturity occurs in the second year of life.

Life expectancy (in captivity) - up to 6 years.

In connection with the economic development and clearing of land, the number of marsupial anteater has sharply decreased. However, the main reason for the decrease in its numbers is the pursuit of predators. Because of their diurnal lifestyle, nambats are more vulnerable than most small marsupials; they are hunted by birds of prey, dingoes, feral dogs and cats, and especially red foxes, which in the 19th century. brought to Australia. Foxes have completely wiped out the nambat population in Victoria, South Australia and the Northern Territory; they survived only in the form of two small populations near Perth. In the late 1970s nambats numbered less than 1000 individuals.

As a result of intensive protective measures, the destruction of foxes and the reintroduction of nambats, the population was able to increase. However, this animal is still included in the lists of the International Red Book with the status of "disappearing" (Endangered).

See information about other representatives of the fauna of Australia, including a representative of the family of two-bladed marsupials - the wombat and representatives of the genus of mammals of the family of carnivorous marsupials -

Detachment - marsupials

Family - marsupial anteaters

Genus/Species - Myrmecobius fasciatus. Marsupial anteater, or nambat, or anteater

Basic data:

DIMENSIONS

Body length with head: 27.5 cm, males are larger than females.

Tail length: 16-21 cm.

Weight: 280-550

BREEDING

Puberty: from 11 months.

Mating period: usually December-April.

Pregnancy: 14 days.

Number of cubs: 2-4.

Number of litters: for 1 year.

LIFESTYLE

Habits: marsupial anteaters (see photo) keep alone; active during the daytime.

What does it eat: mostly termites.

Sounds: sniffling, irritated hissing.

Lifespan: 3-4 years.

RELATED SPECIES

The family of marsupial anteaters, or nambats, is represented by a single species.

Nambat. Video (00:04:23)

Although the marsupial anteater belongs to the marsupial order, it lacks the brood pouch characteristic of them. Nambat cubs cling to the long, curly hair on their mother's belly. Despite the name of the family, the animal very rarely hunts ants - its favorite treats are termites.

WHAT DOES IT FEED

Termites are the nambats' favorite food; less often they feast on ants. Thanks to its sensitive nose, the animal easily finds termite passages even underground and under a layer of branches that lie on its surface. With the help of strong claws, the marsupial anteater removes only upper layer turf to open termite trails, and never dig deeper. Often this animal, in order to get to the “tidbits”, breaks the wood affected by termites with its powerful claws. The marsupial anteater nambat catches insects with a long sticky tongue that can protrude 10 cm. The nambat has an extremely mobile and very strong tongue with which it can move twigs "Using a long pointed nose as a lever, he lifts stones and branches under which insects can hide. As for a representative of marsupials, the nambat has a lot of teeth, but it swallows prey whole. Stirring layers of fallen leaves and examining the soil, the nambat quite often finds large He sweeps them with his sticky tongue into his mouth, bites them several times and then swallows them - along with the earth and stones that accidentally got on his tongue.

LOCATION

The natural habitat of the marsupial anteater is the forests in southwestern Australia, consisting of eucalyptus trees, or vandu. Nambat chooses precisely such forests for the reason that eucalyptus trees they constantly drop branches affected by termites to the ground - and this is just what he needs: the marsupial anteater feeds on termites, and the fallen branches give him shelter. Most of the day the animal is busy looking for food. He runs along the branches lying on the ground, or moves in short jumps. Nambat often stops, stands in a column and carefully looks around, checking if there is any danger nearby. Noticing the danger - say, an eagle that is circling in the sky - he instantly hides in the nest.

Having had a good meal, the beast likes to bask in the sun, doing this quite often. During such a “sunbath”, he takes a funny pose - he lies on his back, spreading his legs wide, opening his mouth and sticking his tongue out. Nambats live alone, lead a daytime lifestyle. nambat nest is lined with dry leaves and grass.

BREEDING

Outside the breeding season, nambats lead a solitary lifestyle. Only during the rutting season, which lasts from December to April, you can see animals that live in pairs.

From January to May, in a nest or a shallow hole dug out by the female specifically for this purpose, from 2 to 4 cubs are born. In nambat cubs, the nose is much shorter than in an adult animal. Since the female does not have a brood pouch, newborn marsupial anteaters cling tightly to the long hair on the mother's belly. Feeding the cubs with milk lasts several months. Already in July-August, the mother, going in search of food, leaves the cubs alone in the hole. Lactation stops when the cubs reach six months of age and are able to get food on their own. At first, the growing cubs live on the territory of the mother, gradually acquiring the skills of an adult animal, and by December (the beginning of summer in Australia) they are already starting an independent life. Animals become sexually mature at the age of one year. They soon begin to multiply.

GENERAL PROVISIONS

The name "nambat" was given to the marsupial anteater by the indigenous people of Australia. The animal is small, a little more regular squirrel, leads night image life. Nambat food consists almost entirely of termites. He can also look for them in the trees. With lightning-fast movements, the nambat takes out termites one at a time with its thin and flexible tongue. He pounces on food with such greed that you can touch him at this time and he will not interrupt his meal. Unlike true anteaters, the marsupial anteater has small teeth.

Nambat has a habit of sleeping so soundly during the day that you can pick him up without waking him up. Because of this feature, he is threatened with extinction. IN Lately through the fault of man in Australia, forest fires have become more frequent. Slow marsupial anteaters die in fire because they cannot wake up in time.

INTERESTING INFORMATION. DO YOU KNOW WHAT...

• The nambat is the only marsupial in Australia that is exclusively diurnal.
• If the nambat is taken by surprise or caught, it never resists and is limited to hissing.
• The Nambat tongue is cylindrical in shape and reaches 10 cm in length.
• Nambat eats about 20,000 termites daily.
• At night, the beast falls into a deep sleep, similar to suspended animation.
• The marsupial anteater has a record number of teeth among land mammals, usually from 50 to 52. However, the numbat, accustomed to swallowing food whole, rarely uses them.

CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF NAMBAT. DESCRIPTION

Wool: gray, sometimes reddish, with white guard hairs; on the back and rump 8 white stripes; The coat is short and thick, on the belly it is longer - cubs hide in it.

Nose: long and bony, convenient for digging earth, turning over stones.

mouth opening: in a small oral cavity there is a long sticky tongue, perfectly adapted for catching termites.

Limbs: short and powerful. The forelimbs are five-fingered, the hind limbs are four-fingered. All fingers end in strong claws - a tool for digging hard earth, moss and breaking dead wood.

Tail: long and fluffy. In an excited beast, the hair on the tail bristles.

- Habitat of nambat

WHERE LIVES

The marsupial anteater lives in eucalyptus forests and scrublands in southwestern Australia.

PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION

Nambat is a very rare animal. The reason was the appearance on the continent of foxes, dogs and cats. Quite often, animals that slept on a dry windbreak were burned by farmers or lumberjacks, who used deadwood as firewood. Today, stations are organized artificial breeding marsupial anteaters.

Marsupial anteater. Video (00:03:05)

Nambat. Video (00:03:58)

Marsupial anteaters (or, as they are also called, "nambats" or "anteaters") are rare animals. They are small in stature - the size of a squirrel. They belong to the marsupial family. Today we have to get to know this amazing animal better and learn a lot of interesting things about it.

Description of nambat

The length of the animal is from 17 to 27 centimeters, and the tail has 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 reached at the age of 11 months.

The coat of representatives of the family of marsupial anteaters is short, but thick and hard. The color is gray, red with white hairs. There are 8 white stripes on the back. Relative to the body, the animals have a very long and fluffy tail. The elongated bony nose is adapted to dig the ground in search of food. And the long sticky tongue is an excellent trap for favorite termites.

The marsupial anteater leads a daytime lifestyle, and after a hearty dinner, he likes to sleep - soak up the sun. A very funny picture of watching him: lying on his back with outstretched paws and sticking out his tongue, he is blissful.

At extreme heat hiding in the foliage or hollow of a tree. He has such a deep sleep that if you pick him up, he won't even wake up. Being a not so vigilant animal, he risks dying by negligence. Especially it concerns forest fires, which are not so rare for its habitat. Slow nambats perish in the fire, not having time to wake up in time.

Habitat of a marsupial

Where do marsupial anteaters live? We can answer this question below.

Until the end of the 18th century, the population was widespread in western and southern Australia. But after the European colonization of the mainland, these animals were significantly reduced in number. And many of them have retained their habitat in the southwestern part of the mainland in eucalyptus, acacia forests and woodlands.

This choice of terrain for the marsupial anteater is not accidental: termite-affected eucalyptus leaves are dropped to the ground. And this is food for him (in the form of termites) and shelter from the leaves of a tree. It can be found running on the ground or moving by jumping. Periodically, he stands on his hind legs to look around for safety. If he sees in the sky, he will rush to hide in a shelter.

A photo of a marsupial anteater while checking the area for the presence of a predator helps to imagine what this animal looks like.

Animal diet

The marsupial anteater feeds on insects; termites or ants, large insects, are its favorite food. Thanks to its keen 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 get through the wood to his delicacy.

Ants have a long tongue that can protrude up to 10 centimeters in length. The tongue, like Velcro, captures its prey. When caught, small pebbles, earth or other objects may come across on the tongue. All this he rolls several times in his mouth, then swallows.

Remarkably, the teeth of the animal are small and weak. They have an asymmetrical shape and can be of different lengths and even widths. Teeth about 50-52 pieces. The hard palate extends further than in most mammals. But this feature is connected with the length of his tongue.

Reproduction of the nambat population

Marsupial anteaters lead a solitary lifestyle. But when it's time for the mating season, the males set off in search of the female. This happens from December to April.

January to May in prepared loving parents very tiny centimetric anteater cubs are born in the nest. There are 2 to 4 babies in a litter. The female does not have a brood pouch, so they hang on their nipples, holding tightly to their mother's fur. This period lasts about 4 months 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 now on, the female can leave the cubs alone in the hole. Upon reaching six months, small nambats can independently get their own food. But they continue to live in the territory with their mother. By December (the beginning of summer in Australia), the young generation begins an adult and independent life, leaving the parental mink.

• Murashied is not only a rare Australian animal, but also unique. He is awake during the day and sleeps at night, which is not typical for marsupials.
• If you manage to catch the animal, then it will not resist, unlike the rest of the animal world. But you will be honored with his hiss, which will indicate his discontent and excited state.
• The tongue of the Australian marsupial has a cylindrical shape, which is uncharacteristic of mammals, as well as a length of about 10 centimeters, which is almost half the length of the body.
• The marsupial anteater eats a record number of termites per day - 20,000 pieces.
• His sleep is so deep and strong that it can only be compared with suspended animation. It's almost impossible to wake him up.
• Among mammals living on land, this is the only representative with a huge number of teeth - 52 pieces. And this despite the fact that he almost does not use them, preferring to swallow food.

The status of the animal and its protection

Due to the fact that in the habitat of the marsupial anteater appeared a large number of foxes, feral dogs and cats, and flying predators do not lose their vigilance, the population of nambats has declined sharply. In particular, this was due to the importation of red foxes to the continent in the 19th century. In the late 1970s, there were only about 1,000 individuals in southern Australia and the Northern Territory.

Also, the expansion of human agricultural activities has affected the disappearance of the marsupial anteater. Lumberjacks and farmers burned fallen dry branches, branches, and the remains of felled trees. As a result, many sleeping ants in these branches and herbs were burned due to human negligence.

At present, they are maintained artificially, which makes it possible to increase and preserve these animals.

The life expectancy 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.

In conclusion about the amazing animal

Today we had a chance to get acquainted with a unique animal from the continent of Australia - the marsupial anteater. This is an interesting animal in terms of observation. It is incapable of aggression and self-defense. Having information about its status in the Red Book, of course, it is worth treating this cute animal with attention and care. Preservation of the life of Red Book animals is a priority task of mankind.

Marsupial anteater or nambat (Myrmecobius fasciatus) is a unique animal. It is the only member of the Myrmecobius family whose closest relative the Tasmanian or Tasmanian tiger is now extinct.

Characteristics

Nambat, unlike other representatives of marsupials, is a carnivore. It leads an active lifestyle during the day, which is associated with the daily activities of its prey. At night he sleeps, falling into a stupor. Despite the name, female marsupials do not have a pouch.

Description

Nambat is a small mammal. In length, it reaches 35–45 cm along with the tail, and the weight of an adult anteater varies from 300 to 752 g. It is easily recognizable by red-brown or gray-brown fur and white-black longitudinal stripes on the back. The fur is harsh, thick.

On an elongated, pointed muzzle, along which it runs from nose to eye black line, are small erect ears. The tongue of the animal is long and narrow, it can protrude from the mouth by 10 cm. It has 52 teeth, which are small and weak.

Runs on four paws, five toes on the front, four toes on the back. Armed with strong and sharp claws. The long, fluffy tail resembles a bottle brush.

Nutrition. Lifestyle

This animal feeds only (if it comes across other types of insects, it can eat them too), capable of eating up to 20 thousand every day. Possessing a keen sense of smell, they quickly find food, digging up the ground with their paws or breaking rotten trees with them, and with the help of a sticky tongue they grab termites.

They lead an active lifestyle during the day, preferring loneliness. They are good at climbing trees. At night they sleep in tree cavities or hollow logs. In case of danger, they hide in a secluded place. Animals have a well-developed sense of smell.

Habitat

The remaining few colonies of nambats now live only in the Western part of Australia. They inhabit eucalyptus forests where old and fallen trees provide hollow logs for shelter, nesting and feeding, and grasslands that are close to water.

reproduction

Marsupial anteaters live alone most of the time. From December to April they begin mating season. At this time, the males leave their territories and go in search of females. To attract them, they leave marks on trees along the way with an oily secret.

Usually 2-4 blind and naked cubs are born in one female. The length of one newborn is 10mm. Baby anteaters crawl to the nipples of the female, and, having sucked, hang on them. When babies gain weight, they cling to their mother's fur.

4 months after the birth of the cubs, the female leaves them in the nest and goes in search of food. They stay with their mother for 9 months and then leave the nest. Puberty in animals occurs in the 2nd year of life.

Lifespan

IN wild nature marsupial anteaters (nambats) live an average of 6 years.