Kowari (Byrne's Marsupial Mouse)

KOWARI
(often reffered to as "Byrne's Marsupial Mouse" after P.M. Byrne the first Euorepean to collect a specimen) is found in Central Australias hot stony desert and dry grasslands. Seldom seen in the wild, the Kowari's habitat consists of stony desert and dry grasslands. The Kowari is a ground dwelling carnivorous marsupial, living either in its own dug burrow or in the hole of another mammal. The Kowari is a solitary animal and marks its territory with secreations from a scent gland and leaving scats and urine at certain places throught their home teritory When approached, Kowari are very aggressive with much hisssing and chattering and thrashing of its tail.

Physical Description of KOWARI

Head and body: 13-18cm Tail: 11-14cm Weight 70-140 grams Colouring - light yellow to reddish fawn (Rufus) - Underbelly is white - The back half of the tail is covered with long black hairs (a type of Brush Tail)

Reproduction

Sexual maturity in a Kowari is reached in the first year of life but breeding seldom takes place until the second year between May and December. The female Kowari (who may produce 2 litters per season) carries up to six young on her teats for about eight weeks and suckles them in a nest (of soft materials) for a further eight weeks. Young Kowaris may ride on their mothers side or back (2-3 months old). The young become independant 100 days after birth.

Eating & Sleeping
The Kowari is well adapted to life in the central desert and does not need to drink, as it derieves needed moisture from its food. When cold and food supply is scarce, the Kowari may become torpid (a form of hibernation). By day, it sleeps in a burrow (sometimes can be seen "Sunbaking"), and at night it is a fierce predator on insects, the larger arthropods, and small vertebrates (eg birds, rodents, lizards) The Kowari can stalk like a cat and uses a direct neck bite when killing large prey.

Future

Its range seems to have contracted considerably in recent decades but it is not clear whether this is an indication of its impending endangerment or of cyclical changes in the density of an opportunistic species, self regulating its numbers to survive in a harsh enviroment. So at this stage its Status is listed as Vulnerable Distribution: 100,000-300,000 square kilometres

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