Cuscus
4 February, 2011
Cuscus (Phalanger) – kind of marsupial family Possum (Phalangeridae), live in the Moluccas, Timor, Sulawesi, in New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Cape York Peninsula in northern Australia.
Couscous are mostly arboreal lifestyle, lodge in the woods and shrub thickets, with infrequent down to earth.
Couscous is quite large animals, body length ranges from 24 до 65 сантиметров, and the length of the tail- 24 до 60 санCentimetersht reaches of the 1 до 7 pounds.before
The fur is thick and fluffy couscous, He may be white, red or black. Their muzzle is short, ears are small and almost imperceptible, a long tail on the bare end, tk. cuscuses grab them for branches.
Thanks to a prehensile tail, and the 2nd largest on the fingers of either hand they are perfectly adapted to its own habitat – humid tropical forests. All day they sleep in tree hollows, and at night slowly climb the tree in search of food. Couscous prefer to live alone, do not form stable groups.
Couscous eat fruits and leaves, From time to time by diluting the diet with insects and birds eggs.
After a short gestation period (often just 2 weeks.) born from one to 2 cubs. R / W for several months the youth leaves the bag. Life expectancy of couscous – comes to 11 Years.
Types and distribution:
In the genus are distinguished 13 species:
* Phalanger extractor Andrae
* Phalanger carmelitae
* Monochrome couscous (Phalanger gymnotis)
* Phalanger intercastellanus
* Vudlarsky couscous (Phalanger lullulae)
* Phalanger matabiru
* Phalanger matanim
* Phalanger mimicus
* Fluffy couscous (Phalanger orientalis)
* Phalanger ornatus
* Phalanger rothsschildi
* Silk couscous (Phalanger sericeus)
* Silky couscous (Phalanger vestitus)
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