Mammals unusual

Cuscus, the monkey-like marsupial

You may have heard of marsupials such as the kangaroo or the koala, but have you ever heard of a marsupial known as the cuscus? Perhaps, some of you may be familiar with the Arabian food known by this same name, which is like rice, when cooked.

Well, the cuscus we are featuring today is considered by some to be the 'most beautiful mammal in the world'; of course it's not an official title given to the animal; just individual opinions as, beauty is certainly in the eyes of the beholder. Now, let's check out what this creature, which is considered to be a part of the possum family, really looks like, and other interesting facts about this creature which is actively hunted by the people of New Guinea for its valuable protein-rich meat.

Its appearance

The cuscus (Phalanger maculatus) is considered to be like a monkey because of its size. It can be as tiny as a mouse or as large as a house cat. Most cuscus are about 20-40 inches long, with a tail that's rather longer than the body. The tail begins to curl up from half way down its length, until the tip, and it is very strong. It usually wraps its tail around the limbs of trees for security, because the cuscus spends most of its time on trees.

The cuscus has small ears, large eyes with cat-like slit pupils, and a pointed snout. The nose is usually yellow. Its body is covered with dense, woolly fur which can range from white or yellow to black or greyish green. Some have patterned fur, but usually it's the male that has spots or rather splotches on its thick fur coat. As the fur is so thick, even its tiny ears are covered by the fur and are barely visible.

However, its feet are not covered with fur. Each foot has five toes; four with claws and the inner toe with an opposable claw which is like a human thumb. The legs are normally reddish-brown to grey in colour.

Depending on the location or age, the colour of the cuscus' fur could also change.

Its eyes could also vary in colour from species to species, from bright yellow, orange to even red! It normally weighs about 3-9 pounds.

Habitat, food and lifestyle

The cuscus - the phalanger species is made up of seven species. They are found in the tropical forests and mangroves of south eastern Australia, New Guinea and neighbouring islands such as the Solomon Island. Though it is widespread in New Guinea, in Australia it is limited to the tip of Cape York.

Even though the cuscus is essentially an Australian type of marsupial, two species, the Bear Cuscus and the Dwarf.

Cuscus, which represent the largest and the smallest of the species, have been found in the Island of Sulawesi in Indonesia.

Most cuscus behave like traditional marsupials and are nocturnal (active at night), but the Bear Cuscus is the opposite of this.

It spends the daytime in a more active manner than its cousins. However, in general, the cuscus resembles the sloths, and is as active as a lazy house cat.

The Sulawesi Bear Cuscus is graceful when it travels and is called the 'slow-motion acrobat of the forest'. Its eyes too are different to that of other species of cuscus. Instead of slits, it has round pupils.

It is a good climber. The cuscus spends most of its time on trees and lives in hollow trees, eating nectar, leaves, fruits and insects. Sometimes it grabs small lizards and even birds with its front paws.

It often eats and sleeps in a sitting position. The cuscus has few enemies and is not a very aggressive creature. But, when confronted by a predator or is annoyed, it strikes with its clawed front paws, snarls and barks loudly.

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Skunk - the smelliest mammal

The skunk, which is a member of the weasel family is considered to be the smelliest of all mammals due to the fact it secretes a smelly oil at its enemies. Like the cuscus, the skunk too is a cat-sized animal and is kept as a pet by some.

What it looks like

Measuring about 20-24 inches and weighing around 4-8 pounds, the skunk is generally black and white in colour, with a long, furry tail. It has white triangular markings on the head, and black fur with two white stripes on the back. The width and length of the stripes could vary with each animal. It has small ears, a long snout, short legs and claws on its feet. Wild skunks are usually black and white, while domesticated ones are varying in colour.

The striped skunk is the most common of the four species found in North America. These too differ mainly in markings in fur and colour patterns.

Skunks' diet and habitat

Being true omnivores, their diet includes insects, rodents, reptiles, small mammals, fish, crustaceans, fruits, grasses, leaves, buds, plants and nuts. However, 70 per cent of the diet is made up of various types of insects.

Depending on the time and availability of food, their diet could change.

Skunks are found in South and Central America and much of North America, excluding the coldest regions.

Behaviour

These small mammals are nocturnal. They have a good sense of hearing, but poor vision. They are usually silent animals though they make various sounds such as hissing, and screaming, when necessary. Striped skunks use scent markings to communicate. They also communicate visually by raising their fur and changing postures.

They do not hibernate, but usually are inactive during the winter. The females often stay in their dens during winter.

They sleep during the daytime in underground burrows. Skunks most often use burrows dug up by other animals of equal size, or natural burrows under tree stumps or buildings. If they need to make their own burrows, they use their sharp front claws to dig them out. Skunk babies are born blind and deaf. The females have a litter of 5-6 babies and they nurse them for about a month and a half.

Up to 90 per cent of skunk babies die in the first winter. It has been found that though skunks have a lifespan of only 2-3 years in the wilds, in captivity, they could live up to even 15 years !

Skunk spraying

Skunks are famous for spraying a foul smelling liquid at their enemies. It is said that an oily, yellowish coloured liquid is secreted from two glands located at the base of their tails. The strong odour is long lasting and one cannot get rid of it easily. The skunk can spray this liquid up to a distance of 10 feet or three metres.

However, it does not use it always. It only resorts to scent spraying as a last resort, and that too by giving enough warning. When it intends to discharge the scent at an enemy, it stamps its feet rapidly, clicks its teeth and raises its tail straight up.

Then it usually does a hand stand and sprays. So, if you ever spot a skunk and see it resorting to this defensive action, get away from it as fast as you can, unless you want to end up, 'smelling like a skunk'!

Of course it's told that tomato juice does help, to some extent, to get rid of this foul smell. Well, you'll never know unless you are sprayed by a skunk.