Long-tailed pygmy possum

The long-tailed pygmy possum (Cercartetus caudatus) is a diprotodont marsupial found in the rainforests of northern Australia, Indonesia and New Guinea. Living at altitudes of above 1,500 m, it eats insects and nectar, and may eat pollen in place of insects in the wild.

Long-tailed pygmy possum[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Marsupialia
Order: Diprotodontia
Family: Burramyidae
Genus: Cercartetus
Species:
C. caudatus
Binomial name
Cercartetus caudatus
Long-tailed pygmy possum range

It is known as sumsum in the Kalam language of Papua New Guinea.[3]

Description

The long-tailed pygmy possum has large eyes, mouse/rodent-like ears, a pouch that opens anteriorly, and a tail that is about one and a half times as long as the body, giving the possum its name.

Behavior

Not much is known of this possum's behaviour, but what is known is that this species is both nocturnal and arboreal. In cold weather, it becomes torpid and looks and feels dead, but wakes at night. Not much is known on the origin of this torpor.

Life cycle

This species breeds twice a year. Females have one to four young born around January and February and sometimes a second litter from late August to early September. The young leave the nest when they are 45 days old.

They only grow up to 10 cm (3.9 in).

References
  1. Groves, C. P. (2005). Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 44. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. OCLC 62265494.
  2. Aplin, K.; Dickman, C.; Salas, L.; Burnett, S. & Winter, J. (2008). "Cercartetus caudatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008. Retrieved 28 December 2008.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  3. Pawley, Andrew and Ralph Bulmer. 2011. A Dictionary of Kalam with Ethnographic Notes. Canberra. Pacific Linguistics.
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