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Crested-tailed marsupial rat, kowari - DASYUROIDES BYRNEI
Endangered
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Kowari": "Kowari" is probably a native Australian word, as are most of the common names of the animals of Australia. The Latin name groups Byrne's Kowari with other carnivorous marsupials.
Location: Central Australia.
Habitat: Terrestrial. Sandy and rocky desert or arid grassland.
Description: The kowari is a ratlike marsupial with distinctive black bushy hair on distal half of its long tail, in contract to the dense, soft, grayish hair elsewhere and creamy white belly. Its feet are white and and there is no big toe on hind feet. The ears are long and hairless. The kowari is 6" to 7" long, and weighs around 2.5 oz.
Behavior: The desert-dwelling kowari burrows into the ground where it builds a nest of grass. It is most active at night, though occassionally also by day. It is a predator and feeds upon small vertebrates such as rodents in addition to a diet of insects. Although primarily terrestrial, the kowari can climb trees with ease and is able to leap at least 18 inches straight off the ground. Kowaris bask in the sun and clean their fur by sand bathing.
Reproduction: The female pouch is poorly developed, consisting of two lateral folds between which are 6 or 7 teats to accommodate the same number of young per litter. Babies are born after a gestation period of about one month. They reach maturity after twelve months. Females can bear 2 litters in succession per year between the months of May and October.
Go to the Marsupials Page to get a general discussion of these animals.
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