DASYURE

This article appears in Volume V07, Page 845 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: DAH-DEM

DASYURE , a bookname for any member of the zoological family Dasyuridae. (See MARSUPIALIA.) The name is better restricted to animals of the typical genus Dasyurus, sometimes called true Dasyures. These are mostly inhabitants of the Australian continent and Tasmania, where in the

economy

ECONOMY

of nature they take the place of the smaller predaceous Carnivora, the cats, civets and weasels of other parts of the world. They hide themselves in the daytime in holes among rocks or in hollow trees, but prowl about at night in

SEARCH, or VISIT AND SEARCH

of the small living mammals and birds which constitute their

prey

PREY (0. Fr. preie, mod. proie, Lat. praeda, booty, from prae and the root hed—seen in prehendere, prendere, to grasp)

, and are to some extent arboreal in habit. The spot-tailed dasyure (D. maculatus), about the size of a cat, inhabiting Tasmania and Southern Australia, has transversely striated pads on the soles of the feet. These organs are also present in the North Australian dasyure (D. hallucatus) and the Papuan D. albopunctatus, and are regarded by Oldfield

Thomas

as indication of arboreal habits; in the common dasyure (D. viverrinus) from Tasmania and Victoria, and the black-tailed dasyure (D. geoffroyi) from

South

SOUTH
SOUTH, ROBERT (1634–1716)

Australia, these feet-pads are absent, whence these species are believed to seek their

prey

PREY (0. Fr. preie, mod. proie, Lat. praeda, booty, from prae and the root hed—seen in prehendere, prendere, to grasp)

on the ground. The ursine dasyure (Sarcophilus ursinus), often called the " Tasmanian Devil," constitutes a distinct genus. In size it may be compared to an English badger; the general colour of the fur is black tingedwith brown, with white patches on the neck, shoulders, rump and chest. It is a burrowing animal, of nocturnal habits, intensely carnivorous, and commits

great

GREAT

depredations on the sheepyards and poultry-lofts of the settlers. In writing of this species Krefft says that oneby no means a large one-escaped from confinement and killed in two nights fifty-four fowls, six geese, an

albatross

ALBATROSS (from the Port. Alcatraz, a pelican)

and a cat. It was recaptured in what was considered a stout trap, with a

door

DOOR (corresponding to the Gr. Bbpa,. Lat. fores or valvae; the English word, with other forms common in allied languages, comes from the same Indo-European
stem
- STEM (O. Eng. staefn, stemn, cf. Du. stain, Ger. Stamm, &c., probably related to " staff ")
as the Gr. Obpa and Lat. fares)

constructed of iron bars as thick as a lead pencil, but escaped by twisting this solid obstacle aside.

End of Article: DASYURE

If you wish, you can link directly to this article.

<a href="http://jcsm.org/StudyCenter/Encyclopedia/DAH_DEM/DASYURE.html">
DASYURE
</a>

(Previous)
DASS, PETTER (1647 1708)

(Next)
DATE PALM

JCSM was founded in 1997 and exists to help the community and bring people into a life-changing and productive relationship with Jesus Christ. JCSM offers over 200,000 free web pages, including its weekly inspirational emails that were sent continuously for over a decade.

Jesus Christ Saves Ministries
P.O. Box 9297
San Diego, CA 92169
1-888-887-0417 or Email