The world of amazing animals. Marsupial moles: a way of life, a description of the species, characteristics of the structure

The sense of humor of nature can only be envied. Sometimes she manages to combine incompatible elements in one animal. Can you imagine a mixture of moles and kangaroos? A sort of little underground man with a bag on his belly.

Description of the species

Marsupial moles are absolutely amazing animals. They live only on the territory of Australia and belong to the genus of marsupial mammals. Rod can not boast an extensive list of representatives. It consists of two kinds of animals:

1. Notoryctes typhlops, which means proper marsupial mole.
2. Notoryctes caurinus, that is, the northern marsupial mole.

The first species was described in 1889, and the second - relatively recently, in 1920. There are no big differences between species. The northern marsupial animal is somewhat smaller. The analog of the marsupial mole is the African zlotokrot. But, despite the fact that the animals are very similar, they are not related species. Similar similarity is called convergence. This term describes an evolutionary process that allows to influence similar environmental conditions on the appearance of organisms belonging to different systematic groups.

Australia - a unique continent, which has preserved many endemics. Marsupial moles are also endemic, as they are not found in other territories. These animals on the mainland occupy the ecological niche of ordinary moles, which are completely absent in this locality.

What does the marsupial mole look like?

Small animals lead mostly underground way of life, which could not but affect their appearance. The body of the animals is strong enough, somewhat waxy, that is, gradually tapering to the tail. The tail itself has a conical shape, and its length does not exceed 3 cm. The size of the animal is not large, a maximum of 18 cm. It remains to find out what is the largest mass of marsupial mole. The largest specimen that fell into the hands of people weighed only 70 grams, the smallest - 40 g.

The animal has a short neck, which consists of five fused vertebrae. In the course of natural selection, it was necessary to increase the patency of the animal, for this purpose the stiffness of the neck was strengthened by nature. A small ponytail is also hard, on it there is a ring scales, and the tip is keratinized. The marsupial moles have five-fingered paws, but the fingers and claws are unevenly developed. To make it easier for animals to dig the moves, the 3rd and 4th fingers end with large triangular claws. The rear paws of the animal are used to discard the excavated soil, so the claws on them are flatter.

Skin of the marsupial baby is soft and dense. It can be white, light brown and golden in color. Since sand of the deserts of Australia is rich in iron, the color of the fur cover may be slightly reddish.

How the nose and eyes are arranged

Marsupial moles have a small conical head with a dense horny shield. This device covers the nose, allowing the muzzle to tear the sand. Nostrils are like small cracks, and eyes are generally underdeveloped as unnecessary. In their structure there is no crystalline lens and pupil, and the optic nerve is a rudiment. But the tear glands play a significant role: they abundantly moisten the nasal cavity and prevent it from clogging the earth.

How the bag works

On the abdomen of the animal is a special small skin pocket. This is a brood bag intended for feeding small and very underdeveloped cubs. In marsupial moles this adaptation is somewhat different from that of other species. It opens back to prevent sand from entering. Inside there is an incomplete partition. In each "pocket" of the brood bag is located one nipple. The males on the belly also have a small transverse fold, which is the vestigial of the brood bag.

Lifestyle

Now you have an idea of who the marsupial mole looks like. It remains to find out how he lives. Animals are found in the sand deserts of Western Australia and in the northern territory. Favorite places - dunes and riverine dunes.

Deep holes the animal digs only during the breeding season. The rest of the time is spent under the sandy surface. As the marsupial mole moves, the tunnels do not remain, since the sand does not hold the shape well. But on the surface of the sand is seen a kind of triple track. The marsupial mole moves with surprising speed. It is difficult to catch, because the animal is digging very quickly.

Moles live one by one. Activity manifests in the daytime and at night. On the surface, they are rarely selected, usually after rain.

The reproduction of these species of animals has not been studied. It is almost impossible to monitor them under natural conditions, but they do not live in captivity for a long time. Progeny in females appears in deep burrows. Most likely, in the brood of 2 kids (since the bag has 2 pockets). The average life expectancy of the marsupial mole is about one and a half years.

Food

The marsupial mole, whose photo can be seen in our article, has a good appetite. The animal spends most of its time looking for a food source. It can be aboveground and underground insects, worms and larvae. Often the animals are tasted by the puppets of ants. Sometimes more substantial prey - small lizards - comes into the food.

Marsupial moles are recognized as a vanishing species. They were brought into the Red Book in order to create conditions for the preservation and study of animals.