Title: Brehm's Life of animals : a complete natural history for popular home instruction and for the use of schools. Mammalia
Identifier: brehmslifeofanim1896breh (find matches)
Year: 1896 (1890s)
Authors: Brehm, Alfred Edmund, 1829-1884; Pechuel-Loesche, Edward, 1840-1913; Haacke, Wilhelm, 1855-1912; Schmidtlein, Richard
Subjects: Mammals; Animal behavior
Publisher: Chicago : Marquis
Contributing Library: Internet Archive
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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588 THE POUCHED ANIMALS. Zbc Carnivorous flDarsupials. SECOND SUBORDER: Polyprotodontia. The second suborder of the Pouched Animals is constituted by the carnivorous forms (Polyprotodon- lia), which are distinguished from the members of the first suborder by reason of the great number of incisor teeth—from fourteen to eighteen—of which eight or ten are found above and six or eight below. These teeth are small and of nearly uniform size, and are greatly surpassed in size by the long, pointed canine teeth. Zbe Banoicoots. FOURTH FAHILY: PeramelidjE. Even an inexperienced, amateur naturalist will readily recognize the members of the first family of the Carnivorous Marsupials, namely the Bandicoots (PcramcliJie). The considerably lengthened hinder peculiar and tolerably quick, as their pace consists of a series of leaping steps of varying length. Their diet consists mainly of plants, especially of succu- lent roots and tubers; but they also eat insects, worms and seeds. The Long-nosed The Long-nosed Bandicoot (Peram- Bandicoot and its elcs nasitta) belongs to the Bandi- Characteristics. coots proper, indigenous not only to Australia but also to New Guinea. It is an animal of peculiar physical structure, having many points of resemblance to a Rabbit and also to a Shrew. Adult animals measure rather more than twenty inches, including the tail, which is nearly five inches long. Zbc preoaceoue flftarsupiate. FIFTH FAMILY: Dasyurid^e. The predaceous Pouched Animals (Dasyuridcs) form the second family of their suborder. Fore and
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THE BROAD-FKONTET) WOMBAT.—This inhabitant ol r burrows which it makes lor itself and is a persistent digger, and when it ism hltljr legs and the deviating toe formation constitute fea- tures likely to be noticed by anybody. Of the five fore toes only the two or three middle ones are large and well developed, and they are armed with strong, curved claws. The second and third toes of the hinder feet arc grown together; the great toe is absent or rudimentary; the fourth toe is very long. The body is, on the whole, stout, the head very pointed, especially the nasal extremity; the tail usuajly very short and sparsely grown with hair, but in exceptional cases long and bushy; the ears are strikingly large in some species. The Bandicoots live in Australia and New Guinea, in burrows which they excavate in the ground, and to which tiny repair in great h;iste on the slightest alarm. Occasionally they are found in the vicinity ol iilant,it ions or settlements, but generally they I e< p alool from the arch-enemy of all animals: Man. Most species seem to be gregarious and to have ex- clusively nocturnal habits. Their movements are \nstralia subsists on grass, herbage and roots. It lives in deep )t scooping out a home it is generally busy digging for roots. (Phascohmys hind legs are of nearly the same length, the former bearing five toes, the latter sometimes five, or only four. The hairy tail is long and not prehensile. THE DASYURINES. The sub-family of the Dasyurines (Dasynrince) occupies the first rank among the animals of this group. All species belonging to it now live only in the Australian belt, from New Guinea to Tasmania. General Charac- The Dasyurines inhabit woodlands as terofthe Dasy- well as rocky localities or the shores urm&. 0f fjie ocean, and live either in deep burrows and holes, under roots of trees, in rocky clefts, or in hollow trees. Some move only on the ground, others are excellent climbers and some live exclusively on trees. Their tread is stealthy and deliberate, and they are classed among the planti- grades, as they step on the entire sole. Nearly all are nocturnal animals, sleeping by day in their holes and sallying out to prey by night. On

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