Description of the animal, its habitat and species, description of the way of life and nutrition, reproduction of kuzu, possible enemies, tips for keeping at home. Kuzu? or, as they are also called, brush tails are mammals from the couscous family or possums, 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 couscous.
Species and habitat of Kuzu
Kuzu? - this 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, which is able to firmly hold onto tree branches. On average, the length of the tail of a kuzu reaches 35 cm, but researchers-zoologists have described specimens of kuzu with a tail length of up to 45 cm. The fur of the longtail is thick and soft in structure, consisting of a silky undercoat and a stiff awn of the upper fur layer. In color - from grayish-white and grayish-silver to black, from ocher-yellow to brownish-brown with a reddish tan. The fur of the lower part of the neck and underbelly is always lighter in color. There are albinos. In general, the features of the color scheme of the color depend on the specific species.
Outwardly, Kuzu looks like a hybrid of a squirrel and a fox. The elegance of the squirrel is combined with the appearance of a fox - a sharp, fox-like muzzle, large erect ears on the sides of the head, pointed or triangular in shape, a long fluffy tail, similar to squirrel five-toed front legs, 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, round rather large eyes, a noticeably forked upper lip, a pink nose of the opposum, strong sickle-shaped claws on paws with bare soles. And the most important feature is the presence of a kuzu in the female, the so-called pouch, consisting of a low fold of skin on the belly. Males of kuzu are much larger than females, which makes it possible to visually determine the sex of the animal without any problems.
Currently, five types of brush tail are distinguished in nature:
- Fox kuzu (Trichosurus vulpecula) or kuzu-fox - lives throughout Australia, except for the north of the mainland, as well as in Tasmania. As a promising fur product in 1833, it was introduced by the British to the islands of New Zealand, where, along with the dogs and cats brought there, it created certain problems for the survival of the local fauna.
- Northern Kuzu (Trichosurus arnhemensis) is mainly distributed in the north of Western Australia in the Kimberley region.
- The canine kuzu (Trichosurus caninus) prefers the tropical and subtropical rainforests of the coastal regions of the north and east of Australia.
- Kuzu Johnston (Trichosurus johnstonii) inhabits the rainforests of the Australian state of Queensland.
- Cuzu Cunningham (Trichosurus cunninghamii) is found in the Australian Alps of Victoria.
Kuzu's behavior, eating habits and lifestyle
- Kuzu food. The natural habitat of Kuzu is determined by the specifics of their lifestyle and preferences in the choice of food. Kuzu feeds mainly on plant foods: leaves and young shoots of trees and shrubs, fruits of plants, flowers and tree bark. That is why the greatest distribution of the Kuzu population is observed in the humid forests of the Australian continent and the islands surrounding the mainland, rich in edible vegetation. Nevertheless, this animal can be found in fairly treeless mountainous regions and even semi-deserts of Australia. In such places, poor in plant food, the diet of kuzu mainly consists of insects and their larvae, small amphibians, eggs and chicks of small birds to which he is able to get.
- Animal behavior and lifestyle. Despite the fact that kuzu is excellent at climbing trees, in its unhurried regularity of movements it more likely resembles a leisurely sloth than a quick squirrel. Free movement through 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 rigidly fixes its position on the branch.
Kuzu refers to animals that spend most of their life in trees and are exclusively nocturnal. In the daytime, kuzu usually fall asleep in the hollows of trees or in a kind of "nest". Sometimes local residents find them in secluded places of abandoned or rarely used buildings, more often in 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 on the ground for a long time, inspecting even human dwellings without undue modesty. I must say that Kuzu are quite calm about close proximity to a person and are easily tamed. And although in the wild they prefer a solitary lifestyle, and males zealously mark their territory to brave strangers, in places in contact with people's dwellings, Kuzu often form numerous and rather restless colonies, literally occupying the territory of gardens and parks.
Reproduction Kuzu
The female Kuzu brings a single cub once a year. This happens, as a rule, in September-November or March-May (the mating season of the brushtail usually occurs twice a year - in spring and autumn, but in conditions of colonies, females bring offspring more often). Pregnancy lasts 15-18 days, after which, as a rule, only one cub is born (very rarely two). Up to 9-11 months, this cub feeds on mother's milk, spending up to 6 months directly in the pouch, and later simply moving on the mother's back. Having reached the age of 18–36 months, the kuzu cub still lives near its mother and only at 37 months (and this is already the fourth year of its existence !!!) of its age does it go in search of its own territory. Over time, history repeats itself.
Enemies of Kuzu
In nature, the natural enemies of 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, some species of hawks and falcons. In mountainous and semi-desert areas, these are monitor lizards. And of course - a man, the main pest of all times and peoples. Indigenous 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 was greatly affected by humans, due to the excellent quality and original color of their fur. Millions of kuzu skins obtained by hunters were supplied to Europe like the fur of the "Australian possum" or "Adelaide chinchilla", using considerable demand among the then fashionistas. Currently, all types of kuzu are under state protection.
Keeping Kuzu at home
Taming the Kuzu is easy. The tamed animal behaves meekly and peacefully without trying to bite or scratch. There are no questions about feeding either. The problem of keeping is only that a rather specific smell emanates from the animal, unpleasant 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.
What the fox kuzu and other animals of Australia look like, see this video: