Zyzomys

The zyzomys gathers Australian Mammifère S Rongeur S of the subfamily of the Murinae .

It counts five Espèce S: Zyzomys argurus , more spread, Zyzomys woodwardi and Zyzomys maini , like Zyzomys palatilis and Zyzomys pedunculatus which is threatened of extinction.

Description

The kind Zyzomys was defined by Thomas in 1909. Like Abditomys, Apodemus, Micromys, Driven (mouse) and Rattus (rat), it are one of the 120 kinds of Murinés.

It includes/understands rodents of intermediate size, heavy between 35 and 140 G. Their body measures between 8 and 18 cm, to which a thick long tail from 9 is added to 14 cm. Their muzzle is characteristic, just as the cutaneous bulge of the tail, of which the thickness increases with the age. When this one, very fragile, is skinned too much, the zyzomys can cut down it. The ears are rather small and round. The females have four udders.

Their peeling is color sands, fawn-coloured or grisâtre, darker on the back and blanchâtre on the belly. The ends of the legs, short and broad, are white. The tail is covered with a white or two-tone fur.

Geographical distribution

These species are endemic Australia, and were found only in one about fifteen sites of the Queensland and the Territoire of North , in the area of Alice Springs and in the chain of the Monts MacDonnell.

Habitat

The zyzomys lives the rock zones. Z. argurus frequent of the dry or arid habitats while Z. woodwardi lives rather in the rainy areas.

Biology

The zyzomys is night and primarily vegetarian: it nourishes seeds of several tens of species of Herbe S or of Arbuste S as well as Fruit S. Occasionnellement, it can eat Insecte S.

Each individual defends a territory of approximately 1000 m ² but the density of Population varies according to the Saison: it is highest at the beginning of the season of the Pluie S, of September to January.

The zyzomys reaches its sexual maturity around four months. The females can have several ranges in the year, but the low setting is more frequent in May. At the conclusion one period of one month gestation, are born from one to six young people. Longevity can exceed two years.

Abundance

The zyzomys are threatened species. The zyzomys were discovered only in 1896 and Z. pedunculatus was not seen since 1960. The kind was supposed to be extinct in 1970. However, Zyzomys argurus , least rare, was redécouvert in 1996 in the area of the MacDonnell mounts. In 2002, one found his trace in the arid zones of the area of Alice Springs .

The zyzomys are reproduced on the red Liste of the UICN 2002 of the species extremely threatened of IUCN (International union for the Nature conservation) and Z. pedunculatus on the Annexe I of Quote ( Convention one International Trade in Endangered Species off Wild Fauna and Flora, i.e. Convention on the international business of the species of fauna and flora savages threatened of extinction, called of Washington).

External bonds

Photographs of zyzomys on Google images

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