Animals - part 1 - marsupials
Robin Hide
rhide at postbox.anu.edu.au
Mon Oct 22 06:49:08 EST 2001
A comment or two on some of the marsupial definitions, which are useful:
>kapul: any of various marsupials, e.g., possums, cuscuses or kangaroos<
OK. perhaps: wallabys or tree kangaroos better than kangaroo? (see below
re kangaroo).
But not usually restricted to marsupial: add
(i) 'and either of the two monotremes (echidnas)' that occur in New Guinea
(ii) and some of the large rodents (e.g. Malomys spp. etc.)
>kuskus: marsupials of the family Phalangeridae (true cuscuses) and the
family Pseudocheiridae (ringtails). The white (spotted) cuscus is
Spilocuscus maculatus maculatus (waitpela kuskus) (Flannery, 1995: 161-187;
210-230).>
Almost certainly includes at times and places, members of the family
Petauridae , and ? possibly the Feather-tailed possum in the Family
Acrobatidae? tho the latter is very small.
>Question: has anyone heard of kuskus referring to a tree kangaroo as
Mihalic reports? >
No but I suspect the kuskus/kapul distinction may not all that rigid,
especially as mammal knowledge declines?
<Referring to a secretary, clerk, etc.?>
I thought the difference here was one of pronunciation? with the clerical
one pronounced like kus the cough?
<mang: "small rat-like creature with a long thin tail" (Murphy, 1985: 60)
Question: This sounds like it may refer to rodents and bandicoots. Has
anyone heard the term used? Does anyone know which animals it applies to
specifically?>
I have never heard this one used.
<mumut: 1. bandicoot (Microperoryctes spp. and Peroryctes spp.) and the
related echymipera (Echymipera spp.); marsupials in the family Peroryctidae
(Flannery, 1995: 104-121) 2. to scavenge (as per Mihalic)>
Perhaps better simply
1. bandicoot, marsupials in the families Peroryctidae and
Peramelidae...(leave out genera?).
2. ..
3. to harvest sequentially (mumutim kaukau....?)
<sikau: 1. bandicoots (family Peroryctidae) (Flannery, 1995: 104-121) 2.
kangaroos (family Macropodidae) (Flannery, 1995: 124-160)>
1. I've never heard sikau applied to bandicoots
2. rather than just kangaroos; better wallabies and tree kangaroos? The
common term kangaroo is never usually applied to NG's terrestrial macropods
I think.
<sikau bilong diwai: tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus spp.) (Murphy, 1985: 60;
Flannery, 1995: 124)>
Ok
<References: Flannery, Timothy F. (1995). Mammals of New Guinea. Ithaca,
NY: Cornell University Press.
Murphy (already in Web site bibliography)>
Add:
Menzies, J. (1991). A Handbook of New Guinea Marsupials & Monotremes.
Madang, Kristen Pres Inc.
Menzies, J. I. and E. Dennis (1979). Handbook of New Guinea Rodents. Wau,
Wau Ecology Institute.
Robin
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