Fox kuzu or fox-shaped possum (lat. Trichosurus vulpecula)

Fox body, or brushtail, or fox glider, or common kuzu-fox (Trichosurus vulpecula) is a mammal of the cuscus family.

The fox kuzu lives in Australia and Tasmania and is one of the most common marsupials in Australia. Young animals of light ash-colored gray, mixed with black, they are colored below, like older individuals. In addition, there are many individual deviations. Like his relatives, he lives exclusively in forests in the trees and leads purely night image life; appears from its shelter only 1-2 hours after sunset.

Fox kuzu (Trichosurus vulpecula). Photo: Joe Scherschel.

Although he is excellent at climbing trees and his body is excellently adapted for such movement, nevertheless, the kuzu is a lazy and slow creature compared to other animals of a similar structure, especially squirrels. The prehensile tail plays an important role in climbing; The fox body does not make a single movement without first being firmly strengthened with the help of this organ, which is necessary for it. On the ground, they say, he is even slower than in the trees.

The body of the kuzu is elongated, the neck is short and thin, the head is elongated, the muzzle is short and pointed, upper lip deeply split. Body length ranges from 32 to 58 cm, tail length from 24 to 40 cm, weight from 1.2 to 4.5 kg.

From others characteristic features must be specified: erect pointed ears average size located on the sides of the head; eyes with an oblong pupil; bare soles; flat nails on the big toes of the hind feet and strongly compressed, sickle-shaped claws on the remaining toes; an incomplete bursa in the female, consisting only of a low fold of skin; finally, thick and soft fur, consisting of a silky undercoat and a rather short, hard awn. The color of the upper side is brownish-gray with a reddish-roan tint, which is noticeably predominant in places; the underparts are light nut-yellow; the lower part of the neck and chest is mostly rusty-red; the back, tail and mustache are black, the ears are bare inside and are covered on the outside with light, nut-yellow, inner edge black-brown hair.

Its food consists mostly of plant matter; however, he never neglects a small bird or other weak vertebrate.

The mating season has no clear boundaries and lasts all year round. In New Zealand, however, according to Crowley (1973), there is a distinct breeding season from April to July. Childbirth occurs in September-November and March-May. Pregnancy lasts 16-18 days. 1 cub is born and lives with its mother for up to 9 months.

Female Foxgo Kuzu for a long time carries the cub in a pouch, and later on her back, until the young grow enough to do without maternal care.

Most zoological gardens have several specimens. They are tamed without difficulty. Animals in captivity are gentle and peaceful, they do not try to bite, but they are so stupid, indifferent and lazy that they give little pleasure. In general, life expectancy is up to 13 years.

The natural enemies of the fox kuzu are birds of prey and monitor lizards. Previously, people destroyed these animals in significant quantities because of their valuable fur. The natives pursue this animal and consider its meat, despite the extremely disgusting smell it emits, to be a tasty morsel and also know how to use its skin in various ways. They wear a cape made from kuzu fur with the same pleasure as we wear a sable or marten fur coat.

It was exported from Australia under the name "Australian possum" or "Adelaide chinchilla". In 1906 alone, 4 million fox skins were sold in the fur markets of New York and London. Today this species is protected.

Scientific classification:
Kingdom: Animals
Type: Chordates
Class: Mammals
Squad: Two-incisor marsupials
Family: Couscous
Genus: Kuzu
View: Fox kuzu (lat. Trichosurus vulpecula (Kerr, 1792))

The fox possum or fox kuzu (Trichosurus vulpecula) is a representative of the cuscus family (Phalangeridae), one of the largest marsupials of Australia. Dwelling in distant sparsely populated areas and suburbs of most Australian cities, the brushtail (also called the koozoo) is probably the most widespread of all Australian mammals and the most studied of all possums.

The kuzu's habitat covers almost all of Australia from rain forests to semi-desert areas and the island of Tasmania. In the 19th century, the animal was introduced into New Zealand: Here he lives and thrives to this day.

This is a medium-sized animal: body length 35-55 cm, weight 1.2-4.5 kg. Males are noticeably larger than females. The tail is long, the body is elongated, the neck is short and thin, the head is elongated, the muzzle is short and pointed, the ears are medium-sized, pointed, the eyes are large, with an oblong pupil.

The silky fur of the animal is gray, gray-brown or gray-black.

IN temperate climate Tasmanian kuzu boast thick fur and a bushy tail, and their weight can reach a record 4.5 kg. Closer to the tropics, the appearance of the animals changes and the size decreases. For example, individuals living in Northern Australia weigh no more than 1.8 kg, have sparse hair and only a small brush on the tail.

How does the fox kuzu live in nature?

Kuzu, like most other gliders, is an arboreal animal. It is active at night, but during the day it rests in hollows or in peculiar nests.

Fox gliders climb trees slowly and carefully and are not capable of graceful jumps. An important role when moving along branches is played by a grasping tail with a patch of bare skin. A prudent animal will not begin to move without securely securing itself with the help of its tail. Another adaptation to the arboreal lifestyle is the curved and sharp claws on the paws and the opposition of the first toe to the others on the forelimb.

Continuation of the family line

With the exception of the period of reproduction and feeding of young animals, possums lead a solitary lifestyle.

By the end of 3-4 years of life, the animal defines a small territory for itself, in the center of which there are 1-2 nesting trees. Kuzu protects her from individuals of the same sex and social status. He is tolerant of the opposite sex or lower-ranking individuals within these territories. Individual areas of males can be 3-8 hectares in size, females – 1-5 hectares.

Female kuzu are very aggressive towards males and do not allow them to come within 1 meter of them. In order to achieve favor, the male needs to try. During the courtship period future spouse gradually overcomes the hostility of his chosen one, carefully approaching her and emitting quiet calling sounds that are similar to the sounds made by cubs. After everything has happened, the male loses all interest in the female; He also does not take part in raising the young.

Females begin to breed at the age of 1 year, bringing 1-2 cubs annually. Pregnancy, like that of other marsupials, is short - only 16-18 days.

The baby kuzu leaves the mother's pouch at the age of 5-6 months and moves to the mother's back, and after another 2 months milk feeding ends. Soon the young possum begins an independent life.

In populations living in the temperate and subtropical zones of Australia, the breeding season usually occurs in March-May, and approximately 50% of females give birth again in September-November. Where seasonality is less pronounced, there are no birth peaks.

The population density of fox gliders varies depending on the habitat from 0.4 individuals per 1 hectare in rare forests and coppices up to 1.4 individuals per 1 hectare in suburban gardens, and in copses where livestock are grazed it can be 2.1 individuals per 1 hectare.

How do kuzu communicate?

These are one of the loudest marsupials: a person can hear the cries of a kuzu at a distance of up to 300 meters. I use several animals to communicate sound signals, resembling clicks, hissing, grunting, loud squealing, chirping. Only members of this genus have a pea-sized cartilaginous compartment of the larynx, which apparently expands their sound repertoire.

Diet

The diet of possums is varied: fruits, flowers and leaves, and sometimes invertebrates, eggs and small vertebrates. In some areas, up to 95% of the kuzu's diet consists of eucalyptus leaves, but in general it is a mixture of tree leaves different breeds. In tropical forests, the main food of kuzu is the leaves of the iron tree, which, by the way, is very toxic to livestock. In habitats occupied by pastures, up to 60% of the diet of these possums consists of pasture plants, and in suburban gardens these marsupials are addicted to flower buds.

Fox gliders in New Zealand

In 1840, the first Australian kuzu were brought to New Zealand to develop the promising fur trade (and the fur of these possums, it must be said, is very light and incredibly warm). Until 1924, as a result of further importation and release of animals bred in captivity, the population increased greatly, and the sale of skins became important source income. However, the happiness of the marsupial conquerors was short-lived. It turned out that in addition to spreading cattle tuberculosis, the possum causes enormous damage to the local flora.

Having settled in the forests of New Zealand, kuzu quickly mastered a new food resource - tasty leaves of valuable species of endemic trees, simultaneously increasing the population density to 50 individuals per hectare, which is about 25 times more than in Australia. By the time their numbers had somewhat stabilized at 6-10 individuals per hectare, some tree species had disappeared in many areas, and the kuzu had switched to other available but less palatable trees.

By gathering on individual trees and practically clearing them of foliage, fox kuzu accelerated their death. With such an abundance of food, these usually solitary animals forgot about their hostility to each other, unlike their Australian counterparts, and began to occupy small, highly overlapping habitats. Over time, possums recognized the advantage of unpalatable trees, and in New Zealand, a subtle but stable change in forest structure continues.

Currently, the New Zealand fox possum population consists of approximately 70 million individuals, which is twice the number of sheep in the country.

The baby fox possum, or fox kuzu, was born at the Sydney Zoo back in March, but interest in this amazing resident of the island of Tasmania has not waned to this day. Baby Bailey, barely appearing in public, became one of the main attractions of the Wildlife Zoo, located in largest city Australia. Over the past four years, this is the third fox cub born thanks to the zoo's animal welfare program.

WILD LIFE Sydney

The first months of a fox glider's life are the most exciting and unpredictable, so Bailey spent them in a separate room for newborns, under 24-hour veterinary supervision. When there was no cause for concern, the baby was transferred to the general enclosure, and he immediately became a favorite not only of the smallest, but also of adult visitors to the Sydney Zoo.

WILD LIFE Sydney

The golden color of Bailey's coat is the result of a lack of melanin, since the natural coat color of foxes is gray-brown. Fox kuzu are one of the largest marsupial inhabitants of Australia, part of the cuscus family. They are almost never found in wildlife, and they can only be seen in secluded areas of the island of Tasmania and the eastern part of the Australian mainland.

WILD LIFE Sydney

Fox body leads wood image life, spending the night in search of food, and during the day resting in the hollows of trees. They do not like noisy companies and try to keep their relatives at a distance, strictly demarcating the territory. To communicate with each other, fox kuzu use a whole range of sounds - from hissing and growling to squealing and even grunting.

Contents of the article:

Kuzu? or, as they are also called, brushtails are mammals from the cuscus or possum family, whose habitat covers almost the entire mainland of Australia and the adjacent islands. In the 19th century, kuzu was introduced to New Zealand. Other names for this animal used in zoology are brush-tailed possums and brush-tailed cuscus.

Types and habitat of kuzu

Kuzu? is a rather large marsupial animal, the body length of which varies, depending on the species, from 32 cm to 60 cm, with a weight of up to 5 kg. It has a tenacious and long fluffy tail, with which it is able to firmly hold on to tree branches. On average, the length of a kuzu's tail reaches 35 cm, but zoological researchers have described specimens of kuzu with a tail length of up to 45 cm. The fur of the brushtail is thick and soft in structure, consisting of a silky undercoat and a hard spine of the upper fur layer. In color - from grayish-white and grayish-silver to black, from ocher-yellow to brownish-brown with reddish tan. The fur on the lower neck and underbelly is always lighter. There are albinos. In general, features color range Color depends on the specific species.

Externally, Kuzu looks like a hybrid of a squirrel and a fox. The elegance of a squirrel is combined with appearance foxes - a sharp, fox-like muzzle, large erect ears on the sides of the head of a pointed or triangular shape, a long fluffy tail, squirrel-like five-fingered front paws actively used both for climbing trees and for holding food. Other features of the kuzu's appearance include the following: a short neck with an elongated head, rather large round eyes, a noticeably forked upper lip, a pink opossum nose, strong sickle-shaped claws on the paws with bare soles. And the most main feature- the female has a kuzu, a so-called pouch, consisting of a low fold of skin on the abdomen.
Male kuzu are much larger than females, which makes it easy to visually determine the gender of the animal.

Currently, there are five species of brushtail in nature:

• Fox kuzu (Trichosurus vulpecula) or kuzu fox - lives throughout Australia, except the north of the mainland, as well as in Tasmania. As a promising fur commodity, it was introduced by the British to the islands of New Zealand in 1833, where it created, along with the dogs and cats brought there, certain problems for the survival of the local fauna.
• The Northern Coosoo (Trichosurus arnhemensis) is primarily found in the northern Kimberley region of Western Australia.
• Canine kuzu (Trichosurus caninus) prefers humid tropical and sub- tropical forests coastal areas in northern and eastern Australia.
• Johnston's kuzu (Trichosurus johnstonii) inhabits the rainforests of the Australian state of Queensland.
• Cunningham's kuzu (Trichosurus cunninghamii) is found in the Australian Alps in Victoria.

Behavior, nutritional habits and lifestyle of kuzu

• Kuzu food. Natural environment The habitat of kuzu is determined by the specifics of their lifestyle and preferences in choosing food. Kuzu feeds mainly on plant foods: leaves and young shoots of trees and shrubs, plant fruits, flowers and tree bark. That's why greatest distribution Kuzu populations are observed in rich edible vegetation wet forests the Australian continent and the islands surrounding the mainland. However, this animal can also be found in fairly treeless mountainous areas and even semi-deserts of Australia. In such places poor in plant food, the diet of kuzu is to a greater extent consists of insects and their larvae, small amphibians, eggs and chicks of small birds that he is able to reach.
• Animal behavior and lifestyle. Despite the fact that the kuzu climbs trees excellently, in its unhurried regularity of movements it is more reminiscent of a leisurely sloth than an agile squirrel. Free movement through the trees is facilitated not only by the sharp sickle-like claws of the animal, but also by the tail, with the help of which the kuzu always firmly fixes its position on the branch.

Kuzu is an animal that spends most of its life in trees and is exclusively nocturnal. During the daytime, kuzu usually sleep in tree hollows or in peculiar “nests.” Sometimes local residents find them in secluded places of abandoned or rarely used buildings, usually on the upper tier or attics.

The active phase of kuzu's life begins with the onset of darkness. In search of food, the brushtail not only examines nearby trees, but is also able to travel for a long time on the ground, inspecting even human dwellings without excessive modesty. It must be said that kuzu are quite calm about being in close proximity to humans and are easily tamed. And although in the wild they prefer a solitary lifestyle, and males diligently mark their territory to ward off strangers, in places adjacent to people’s homes, kuzu often form numerous and rather restless colonies, literally occupying the territory of gardens and parks.

Reproduction of kuzu

The female kuzu gives birth to a single cub once a year. This usually happens in September-November or March-May (the brushtail mating season usually occurs twice a year - in spring and autumn, but in colonies, females give birth more often). Pregnancy lasts 15–18 days, after which, as a rule, only one baby is born (very rarely two). Until 9–11 months, this cub is fed on mother's milk, spending up to 6 months directly in the pouch, and subsequently simply moving on the mother's back. Having reached the age of 18–36 months, the Kuzu cub still lives close to its mother and only at the 37th month (and this is already the fourth year of its existence!!!) of its age it goes in search of its own territory. Over time, history repeats itself.

Enemies of Kuzu

In nature natural enemies Kuzu are mainly birds of prey. Among them are the Australian wedge-tailed eagle and the New Zealand kea parrot, famous for its meat-eating tendencies, and some species of hawks and falcons. In mountainous and semi-desert areas these are monitor lizards. And of course - a man, main pest of all times and peoples. Native tribes have long exterminated kuzu for meat and fur, despite the specific smell emanating from them.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the kuzu population in Australia suffered greatly from humans, due to the excellent quality and original color of its fur. Millions of kuzu skins obtained by hunters were supplied to Europe as the fur of the “Australian possum” or “Adelaide chinchilla”, being in considerable demand among fashionistas of the time. Currently, all types of kuzu are under state protection.

Taming a kuzu is not particularly difficult. A tamed animal behaves meekly and peacefully without trying to bite or scratch. There are also no issues with feeding. The only problem with keeping it is that the animal emits a rather specific smell, which is not pleasant for the owner of the animal. That is why kuzu is extremely rare at home. Not every owner is able to put up with the smell of Australian kuzu in their own home.

See what the fox kuzu and other Australian animals look like in this video:

Fox body, or brushtail, or fox glider(Trichosurus vulpecula)

Class – Mammals

Order – Two-incisor marsupials

Family – Couscous

Rod – Kuzu

Appearance

The body of the kuzu is elongated, the neck is short and thin, the head is elongated, the muzzle is short and pointed, the upper lip is deeply cleft, the fur is gray, sometimes brown, and there are albinos. The tail is long and fluffy. Body length ranges from 32 to 58 cm, tail length from 24 to 40 cm, weight from 1.2 to 4.5 kg. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced, males are much larger than females.

Habitat

Lives over a large area of ​​eastern Australia, in some areas Western Australia, in particular nearPerth , in the north of the mainland and on the island Tasmania . In the 19th century, the fox kuzu was acclimatized and then introduced into New Zealand

In nature

Like their “Russian relatives” - squirrels, kuzu live in forests exclusively in trees and are nocturnal. They emerge from their shelter only an hour or two after sunset. Despite the fact that these marsupials are excellent at climbing trees, and their body is excellently adapted for this type of movement, they are quite slow and lazy creatures compared to other animals of a similar structure, especially squirrels. The prehensile tail plays an important role in climbing. The fox kuzu does not begin to move unless it is strengthened as firmly as possible with the help of this organ. They say that kuzu is even lazier on the ground than on the trees. Its food consists mostly of plants, but this animal also likes to feast on small birds and other weak vertebrates.

Reproduction

The mating season has no clear boundaries and lasts all year round. In New Zealand, however, according to Crowley (1973), there is a distinct breeding season from April to July. Childbirth occurs in September-November and March-May. Pregnancy lasts 16-18 days. 1-2 cubs are born,which the female carries in a pouch and then on her back until they reach the age of 9 months.

Captivity

Taming a kuzu is not particularly difficult. A tamed animal behaves meekly and peacefully, without trying to bite or scratch.

Kuzu loves to chew rotten snags and branches and pick out insects with his tongue. Therefore, it can be placed in suitable driftwood from the forest. You can also make a wooden block of wood with channels that are filled with honey or insects, so that the animals have an interesting activity.
An enclosure of the “Night Forest” type is best suited for keeping.

The daily diet includes insects, pollen, honey, and fruits. Place food not only in feeders, but also on branches.

In general, life expectancy is up to 13 years.