The Life of Animals | Numbat | The numbat is a small, colorful creature the between 35 and 45 centimetres (14 and 18 in.) long, including the tail, with a finely pointed muzzle and a prominent, Bushy tail about the same length as its body. The Underside is cream or light gray, while the tail is covered with long gray hair flecked with white. Weight varies the between 280 and 700 grams (9.9 oz and 25).
Most Ecosystems with a generous supply of Termites have a fairly large creature with a very long, thin, sticky tongue for penetrating termite Colonies, and powerful forelimbs with heavy claws. Like other Mammals That Termites eat or ants, the numbat has a degenerate jaw with up to 50 very small non-functional teeth, and although it Able to chew, rarely does so, Because of the soft nature of its diet. Among terrestrial Mammals Uniquely, there is an additional cheek tooth the between the premolars and molars; it is unclear whether this represents a supernumary molar tooth or a deciduous tooth retained into adult life. As a result, although not individuals have the same dental formula, in general, it follows the unique pattern Like many ant-eating animals, the numbat has an unusually long, narrow, tongue, coated with sticky saliva produced by large submandibular glands.
The digestive system is Relatively simple, and lacks many of the adaptations found in other entomophagous animals, presumably Because Termites are Easier to digest than ants, having a softer exoskeleton. Apparently Numbats are Able to gain a considerable amount of water from Their diet, since Their kidneys lack the usual specialisations for retaining water found in other animals living in arid environments Their Numbats also possess a sternal scent gland, the which may be used for marking its territory .
Although the numbat finds termite mounds primarily using scent, it has the highest visual acuity of any marsupial, and, unusually for marsupials, has a high proportion of cone cells in the retina. Numbats regularly enter a state of torpor, the which may last up to fifteen hours a day During the winter months Numbats were the resource persons formerly found across southern Australia from Western Australia across as far as Northwestern New South Wales. However, the range has Declined significantly since the arrival of Europeans, and the species has survived only in two small patches of land in the Dryandra Woodland and the Perup Nature Reserve, Both in Western Australia Numbats breed in February and March, normally producing one litter a year, although They can Produce a second if the first is lost.
The young are 2 centimetres (0.79 in) long at birth, and crawl to the teats, and Remain attached until late July or early August, by the which time They have grown to 7.5 centimetres (3.0 in). It was discovered by an exploration party were the resource persons WHO Exploring the Avon Valley under the leadership of Robert Dale.
