Dog body [1] ( Trichosurus caninus ) is a mammal in the couscous family.
| Dog body |
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| Scientific classification |
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| No rank : | Bilateral symmetrical |
| Squad: | Two-tailed marsupials |
| Suborder : | Phalangeriformes |
| Superfamily : | Phalangeroidea |
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| International scientific name |
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Trichosurus caninus ( Ogilby , 1836) |
| Area |
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| Security status |
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Least ConcernedIUCN 3.1 Least Concern : 40557 |
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It lives in the forests of southeastern Queensland , eastern New South Wales, and eastern Victoria, Australia.
Covered with thick gray or dark gray fur. Females and males are similar. With a variety of habitats, this species retains uniformity of color, which differs from the related species Trichosurus vulpecula , whose representatives demonstrate a variety of color variations. His ears are smaller than other species. The tail is almost the same length as the body; it is covered with fur, with the exception of the tip itself. The mass of an adult animal reaches 2.5-4.5 kg, the length of the body, including the tail, is 74-92 cm.
On the chin there are glands that secrete an odorous secretion. Like most marsupials, the females have a bag that opens forward, in which the cubs spend the first few months of life. In nature, kuzu live up to 7 years, females live longer than males. There are reports of a female who lived 17 years, while for males the age limit is 12 years [2] .
They climb perfectly and can quickly climb a tree, escaping from the pursuit of a python, dingo or spotted marsupial marten . Under the same circumstances, the body can swim. This nocturnal animal with well-developed hearing and smell. The dog body is an ordinary animal in its places of residence and often becomes the prey of predators. In turn, he eats fruits and transfers seeds in his feces, contributing to their resettlement.
Despite the fact that this species of kuzu spends most of its time on trees, it can sometimes be found on the ground, while it rummages through deadwood and in heaps of fallen leaves in search of insects. Tears off the bark of coniferous trees, causing damage to the forest. Kuzu - vegetarians who eat grass, leaves and fruits, but they do not miss the opportunity to eat insects.
This mammal enters breeding in spring or autumn, and in some cases the female produces offspring more often than once a year. Most cubs (one per female) are born in March-April. Pregnancy lasts 15-17 days, cubs are born completely helpless.
The cubs are fed mother’s milk for 7–11 months (since that time they spend 5–6 months in a bag, and 2–5 months go after their mother). By the age of 18–36 months they live in the territory of their mother, then they go in search of their possessions. Females become sexually mature at the age of 2-3 years, if they enter reproduction earlier, their offspring rarely survive. If the cubs die, the female is again ready for mating in a short time.
Sites of females and males overlap each other, so everyone can mate with a large number of partners. Sometimes they form pairs. Males call females with mating cries and mark the territory with the characteristic smell of secret from their glands.
