On planet Earth, there are about two hundred species of marsupial animals. Of these, two-thirds consider Australia their homeland. On this continent, due to its isolation from other continents, its own unique fauna has been preserved. The most famous Australian marsupials are kangaroos and koalas. But there are other animals that have a skin fold on their belly. The possum family also belongs to them. But not so simple. Not all types have a bag. In addition, not all possums live in Australia. Most of their species live only on the American continent. In this article you will find out what kind of dwarf possum the animal is. A photo of this cute baby will soften the heart even of completely non- sentimental people, especially when the baby is confidentially sleeping in human hands.
Why do you need a bag
Despite the different body structure, size, nutrition and lifestyle, most animals in Australia have one common anatomical feature. This bag is a skin fold on the female’s belly. It can be either very deep or barely noticeable, open forward or backward. Many endemic Australia is united by this anatomical feature, which has disappeared in animal species living on other continents. But at the same time, the marsupial possum is found not only in Green Continent and in New Guinea, but also in South and North America. Why is this abdominal cavity needed? The fact is that cubs in marsupials are born underdeveloped. After all, pregnancy does not last long - 8-40 days. These are actually embryos. For example, in a kangaroo, a newborn reaches only three centimeters in length. But they are very tenacious. Newborns scramble along their mother’s belly for a bag. There they find a nipple and fall to it for long weeks. Even having reached maturity, young growth in case of danger seeks shelter in the mother’s bag. But possums here also showed their uniqueness. Not all of them have bags. Some of them are equipped with a rudimentary fold, while some do not even have a trace. For example, the dwarf possum does not have a brood bag.
Brief description of the family
The possum family has about eighty species. Most of them live in the equatorial forests of Central and South America. Outwardly, these small animals with a size of 7-50 centimeters resemble mice or rats. Moreover, some species have a bare, hairless tail. However, unlike rodents, this appendage plays a very large role in the life of the animal. Opossums cling to the branches of trees with their tail, they “steer” them when jumping. Sometimes it is thickened at the base with deposits of fat. Opossums most often live in the crowns of trees, but there are species that lead a land or semi-aquatic lifestyle. Mostly feed on insects, but there are those whose food is flower nectar. Dwarf possum (Marmosa murina), also called the Eney mouse, lives on trees in tropical forests between the Amazon and Orinoco rivers. These animals are active at dusk.
Dwarf possum
Despite the name, this is not the smallest member of the family. Its length can reach up to 31 centimeters, of which more than half falls on the grasping bare tail. The fur coat of the animal is yellowish-gray on top, and the abdomen is of a lighter color. Bags, as already indicated, this type of possums do not. The animal lives in the crowns of trees - in hollows, voids under the bark. Eney's mouse is truly omnivorous. Do not disdain and bird eggs. But most of all, she loves fruits, as well as a variety of crickets and other insects. The life span of this mouse reaches eight years. The female brings 10-12 cubs to the litter. For lack of a bag, the kids just hang on her nipples. And when the cubs grow up a little, they move to the mother's back.
Other types of pygmy possums
This tiny animal can be called an elf. He eats exclusively floral nectar and fruits, like a moth. Meet the eastern dwarf possum, or dormouse. Its length is 12 centimeters, and eight of them are the tail. Sony is active in the summer and inactive in the winter, for which they received their second nickname. When the possum eats well, it deposits fat at the base of the tail. The dwarf opossum also inhabits Brazil, Argentina and Peru. He does not have a bag, and his body length reaches 15 centimeters. And the Chak possum is considered the record holder among the midgets. The length of his body is only 68 millimeters.
Australian Dwarf Opossum
In fact, these small animals represent a completely different family - Burramyidae. Yes, and they are called sums. This name was given to animals by James Cook, who described the representative of the species at the discovery of Queensland. The captain, far from biology, compared the new animal with the American possum known to him. But in his notes he made a blot: he missed the initial letter “o”. And the name "Possum" was fixed to the Australian animal. Now scientists distinguish five species of the Burramyidae family. They are found in eastern Australia and in New Guinea. Of these, only one species - mountain couscous - falls into hibernation. The Australian Dwarf Opossum has a well-defined, forward-opening bag. This animal has big eyes, small rounded ears and a long grasping tail.