The musky rat-kangaroo (Hypsiprymnodon moschatus ) is a small marsupial found only in the rainforests of northeastern Australia. First described in the later 19th century, the only other species are known from fossil specimens. They are similar in appearance to potoroos and bettongs, but are not as closely related. Their omnivorous diet is known to include materials such as fruit and fungi, as well as small animals such as insects and other invertebrates. The local Aboriginal name for the species is durrgim yuri.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
A frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts, and seeds. Approx...
An omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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SolitaryNo
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe smallest macropodids, this marsupial resembles a small kangaroo. The Musky rat-kangaroo moves around by slow "bunny-hop" movement. An important identifying feature of this animal is its hind feet, having 5 toes.
These kangaroos occur in tropical rainforest in the north-eastern Queensland (Australia), where they inhabit areas with dense vegetation around lakes and streams.
Due to their shyness and quickness, these kangaroos are extremely difficult to spot and observe in the wild. Musky rat-kangaroos are generally solitary, although they are known to feed in small groups of 2 - 3 individuals. These diurnal animals sleep in their nests, typically made between the plank buttresses of a large tree or in a clump of Lawyer Vine. When constructing their nests, Musky rat-kangaroos collect nesting material (e.g. ferns, lichens and dried grass) with their tails. When running, they use all of their four limbs, as opposed to other macropods, hopping on their hind feet. According to an observation, these kangaroos may sunbathe on fallen logs. They have also been seen in trees, suggesting they are good climbers.
Musky rat-kangaroo are primarily insectivorous. Their diet consists of insects and worms, complemented with fruits, seeds, tuberous roots and palm berries.
Little is known about the mating and reproductive behavior of Musky rat-kangaroos, due to their elusive behavior. However, they are known to breed from February to July. Like in other kangaroos, gestation period lasts for 19 days, yielding 2 young. Newborn babies live in the pouch of their mother for 21 weeks, after which they come out of the pouch, remaining in the nest for additional several weeks. Females of this species reach sexual maturity after one year old.
In course of time, these kangaroos have lost a big part of their original range, especially in the coastal lowlands, where their rainforest habitat has been turned to agricultural and pastoral areas. Currently, there are no notable threats to the population of Musky rat-kangaroos. However, the animals are thought to be hunted by feral cats and dogs. They may also suffer from clearing of rainforest, which is their natural habitat.
According to IUCN, the Musky rat-kangaroo is common across its range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC), and its numbers are stable.
Feeding upon vegetation, Musky rat-kangaroos serve as key seed dispersers of the rainforest ecosystem, enhancing regeneration of various plants.
