Phalangeridae
Encyclopedia
Phalangeridae is a family of nocturnal marsupials native to Australia
and New Guinea
, including the cuscus
es, brushtail possum
s, and their close relatives. Considered a type of possum
, most species are arboreal, and they inhabit a wide range of forest habitats from alpine woodland to eucalypt
forest and tropical jungle.
s. The smallest species, the Sulawesi Bear Cuscus
, is cat-sized, averaging 34 centimetres (13.4 in) in length, while the largest, the Black-spotted Cuscus is around 70 centimetres (27.6 in) long, and weighs 5 kilograms (11 lb). Besides the large size, other key features distinguishing phalangerids from other possums include the presence of bare skin on at least part of the tail, and low-crowned molar
teeth. They have claws on the forefeet, but none on the hindfeet, although these do have an opposable first toe to help grip onto branches. Additionally, in all but one species, both the first and second digits of the forefeet are opposable. The fur is typically dense or woolly, and may be grey, black, or reddish-brown, often with spots or stripes.
Most phalangerids are folivore
s, feeding primarily on leaves. Like some similar species, they have a large cecum
to ferment this highly fibrous food and extract as much nutrition as possible. However, their teeth are not as highly adapted to this diet as in other possums, and they also eat fruit, and even some invertebrates. The only exception to these general rules is the Ground Cuscus
, which is carnivorous
, and is also less arboreal than other phalangerid species. The dental formula of phalangerids is:
Gestation
in phalangerids lasts 16–17 days in those species so far studied. The females have a well-developed pouch
, and typically raise only or two young at a time, less than many other possums. The adults are typically solitary, defending territories marked by scent glands, odiferous saliva, urine, or dung.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, including the cuscus
Cuscus
Cuscus is the common name generally given to the species within the four genera of Australasian possum:* Ailurops* Phalanger* Spilocuscus* Strigocuscus...
es, brushtail possum
Brushtail possum
The brushtail possums are the members of the genus, Trichosurus, a genus of marsupial in the Phalangeridae family.It contains the following species:*Northern Brushtail Possum, Trichosurus arnhemensis...
s, and their close relatives. Considered a type of possum
Possum
A possum is any of about 70 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupial species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi .Possums are quadrupedal diprotodont marsupials with long tails...
, most species are arboreal, and they inhabit a wide range of forest habitats from alpine woodland to eucalypt
Eucalypt
Eucalypts are woody plants belonging to three closely related genera:Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora.In 1995 new evidence, largely genetic, indicated that some prominent Eucalyptus species were actually more closely related to Angophora than to the other eucalypts; they were split off into the...
forest and tropical jungle.
Characteristics
Phalangerids are relatively large, compared with other possumPossum
A possum is any of about 70 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupial species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi .Possums are quadrupedal diprotodont marsupials with long tails...
s. The smallest species, the Sulawesi Bear Cuscus
Sulawesi Bear Cuscus
The Sulawesi Bear Cuscus or Sulawesi Bear Phalanger is a species of marsupial in the family Phalangeridae. It is endemic to Sulawesi and nearby islands in Indonesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests....
, is cat-sized, averaging 34 centimetres (13.4 in) in length, while the largest, the Black-spotted Cuscus is around 70 centimetres (27.6 in) long, and weighs 5 kilograms (11 lb). Besides the large size, other key features distinguishing phalangerids from other possums include the presence of bare skin on at least part of the tail, and low-crowned molar
Molar (tooth)
Molars are the rearmost and most complicated kind of tooth in most mammals. In many mammals they grind food; hence the Latin name mola, "millstone"....
teeth. They have claws on the forefeet, but none on the hindfeet, although these do have an opposable first toe to help grip onto branches. Additionally, in all but one species, both the first and second digits of the forefeet are opposable. The fur is typically dense or woolly, and may be grey, black, or reddish-brown, often with spots or stripes.
Most phalangerids are folivore
Folivore
In zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less energy than other types of foods, and often toxic compounds. For this reason folivorous animals tend to have long digestive tracts and slow metabolisms....
s, feeding primarily on leaves. Like some similar species, they have a large cecum
Cecum
The cecum or caecum is a pouch, connecting the ileum with the ascending colon of the large intestine. It is separated from the ileum by the ileocecal valve or Bauhin's valve, and is considered to be the beginning of the large intestine. It is also separated from the colon by the cecocolic...
to ferment this highly fibrous food and extract as much nutrition as possible. However, their teeth are not as highly adapted to this diet as in other possums, and they also eat fruit, and even some invertebrates. The only exception to these general rules is the Ground Cuscus
Ground Cuscus
The Ground Cuscus is a marsupial from the order Diprotodontia and belongs within the family Phalangeridae, a diverse family consisting of the other cuscus species and the brushtail possums and the Scaly-tailed Possum .Body weight of the Ground Cuscus averages 2.5 – 3kg...
, which is carnivorous
Carnivore
A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging...
, and is also less arboreal than other phalangerid species. The dental formula of phalangerids is:
Gestation
Gestation
Gestation is the carrying of an embryo or fetus inside a female viviparous animal. Mammals during pregnancy can have one or more gestations at the same time ....
in phalangerids lasts 16–17 days in those species so far studied. The females have a well-developed pouch
Pouch (marsupial)
The pouch is a distinguishing feature of female marsupials ; the name marsupial is derived from the Latin marsupium, meaning "pouch". Marsupials give birth to a live but relatively undeveloped fetus called a joey. When the joey is born it crawls from inside the mother to the pouch...
, and typically raise only or two young at a time, less than many other possums. The adults are typically solitary, defending territories marked by scent glands, odiferous saliva, urine, or dung.
Classification
This classification is based on Ruedas & Morales 2005. The Phalangeridae family consists of 6 genera and 28 species.- Subfamily Ailuropinae
- Genus Ailurops
- Talaud Bear CuscusTalaud Bear CuscusThe Talaud Bear Cuscus is a species of marsupial in the Phalangeridae family. It is endemic to Salibabu Island in the Talaud Islands, Indonesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests.-References:...
(Ailurops melanotis) - Sulawesi Bear CuscusSulawesi Bear CuscusThe Sulawesi Bear Cuscus or Sulawesi Bear Phalanger is a species of marsupial in the family Phalangeridae. It is endemic to Sulawesi and nearby islands in Indonesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests....
(Ailurops ursinus)
- Talaud Bear Cuscus
- Genus StrigocuscusStrigocuscusStrigocuscus is a marsupial genus in the family Phalangeridae. It contains the following species:* Sulawesi Dwarf Cuscus * Peleng Cuscus...
- Sulawesi Dwarf CuscusSulawesi Dwarf CuscusThe Sulawesi Dwarf Cuscus is a species of marsupial in the family Phalangeridae. It is endemic to Sulawesi and nearby islands in Indonesia....
(Strigocuscus celebensis) - Banggai CuscusBanggai CuscusThe Banggai Cuscus is a species of marsupial in the Phalangeridae family.It is endemic to Indonesia.It is a species of cuscus, a type of possum. It is found in the Peleng and Sula Islands of Indonesia....
(Strigocuscus pelegensis)
- Sulawesi Dwarf Cuscus
- Genus Ailurops
- Subfamily Phalangerinae
- Tribe Phalangerini
- Genus PhalangerPhalangerPhalanger, from the Greek Phalangion, meaning spider's web, from their webbed toes is a genus of possum. They are marsupials of the family Phalangeridae...
- Gebe CuscusGebe CuscusThe Gebe Cuscus is a species of marsupial in the family Phalangeridae. It is endemic to the island of Gebe Umera, North Maluku province, Indonesia, where it lives at elevations from sea level to 300 m....
(Phalanger alexandrae) - Mountain CuscusMountain CuscusThe Mountain Cuscus is a species of marsupial in the Phalangeridae family. It is found in West Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea....
(Phalanger carmelitae) - Ground CuscusGround CuscusThe Ground Cuscus is a marsupial from the order Diprotodontia and belongs within the family Phalangeridae, a diverse family consisting of the other cuscus species and the brushtail possums and the Scaly-tailed Possum .Body weight of the Ground Cuscus averages 2.5 – 3kg...
(Phalanger gymnotis) - Eastern Common CuscusEastern Common CuscusThe Eastern Common Cuscus is a species of marsupial in the Phalangeridae family. It is found in eastern Papua New Guinea. Until recently, it was considered conspecific with P. mimicus, and before that also with P. orientalis....
(Phalanger intercastellanus) - Woodlark CuscusWoodlark CuscusThe Woodlark Cuscus is a species of marsupial in the Phalangeridae family. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea, specifically on Madau and Woodlark Island....
(Phalanger lullulae) - Blue-eyed CuscusBlue-eyed CuscusThe Blue-eyed Cuscus is a species of marsupial in the family Phalangeridae. It is endemic to the two small islands of Ternate and Tidore, west of the island of Halmahera in North Maluku province, Indonesia....
(Phalanger matabiruPhalanger matabiruThe Blue-eyed Cuscus is a species of marsupial in the Phalangeridae family. It is endemic to the two small islands of Ternate and Tidore, west of the island of Halmahera of Indonesia....
) - Telefomin CuscusTelefomin CuscusThe Telefomin Cuscus is a possum found on New Guinea.It is named after the Telefol ethnic group, who knew the animal long before it was discovered scientifically by the Australian zoologist Tim Flannery. It lives in the oak forests along the Nong River in the middle of Papua New Guinea, at...
(Phalanger matanim) - Southern Common CuscusSouthern Common CuscusThe Southern Common Cuscus is also known as Australian Cuscus, Grey Cuscus, Grey Phalanger, and To-ili. An arboreal marsupial, it is endemic to Australia , southern New Guinea and possibly the Aru Islands. Until recently, it was considered conspecific with P. intercastellanus, and before that also...
(Phalanger mimicus) - Northern Common CuscusNorthern Common CuscusThe Northern Common Cuscus , also known as the Grey Cuscus, is a species of marsupial in the Phalangeridae family. It is native to northern New Guinea and adjacent smaller islands, but is now also found in the Bismarck Archipelago, south-east and central Moluccas, the Solomons and Timor, where it...
(Phalanger orientalis) - Ornate CuscusOrnate CuscusThe Ornate Cuscus or Molluccan Cuscus is a species of marsupial in the family Phalangeridae. It is endemic to Indonesia, where it is found on the North Maluku islands of Halmahera, Bacan and Morotai, at elevations from sea level to 1000 m....
(Phalanger ornatus) - Rothschild's CuscusRothschild's CuscusRothschild's Cuscus , also called the Obi Island Cuscus, is a species of marsupial in the family Phalangeridae. It is endemic to the islands of Obi, Bisa and Obilatu in the Obi Islands of Maluku province, Indonesia....
(Phalanger rothschildi) - Silky CuscusSilky CuscusThe Silky Cuscus is a species of marsupial in the Phalangeridae family. It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea....
(Phalanger sericeus) - Stein's CuscusStein's CuscusStein's Cuscus is a species of marsupial in the Phalangeridae family. It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea....
(Phalanger vestitus)
- Gebe Cuscus
- Genus SpilocuscusSpilocuscusSpilocuscus is a genus of marsupial in the family Phalangeridae.It contains the following species:*Admiralty Island Cuscus, Spilocuscus kraemeri*Common Spotted Cuscus, Spilocuscus maculatus*Waigeou Cuscus, Spilocuscus papuensis...
- Admiralty Island CuscusAdmiralty Island CuscusThe Admiralty Island Cuscus or Manus Island Spotted Cuscus is a species of marsupial in the Phalangeridae family. It is endemic to the Admiralty Islands of Papua New Guinea. It is the smallest member of the genus Spilocuscus, and the female has a black back, while the male has blackish spots on a...
(Spilocuscus kraemeri) - Common Spotted CuscusCommon Spotted CuscusThe Common Spotted Cuscus is a cuscus, a marsupial that lives in the Cape York region of Australia, New Guinea, and nearby smaller islands.- Description :...
(Spilocuscus maculatus) - Waigeou CuscusWaigeou CuscusThe Waigeou Cuscus or Waigeou Spotted Cuscus is a species of marsupial in the Phalangeridae family. It is endemic to the island of Waigeo in Indonesia, and consequently the spelling Waigeo Cuscus is often used instead of Waigeou Cuscus. Unlike all other members of the genus Spilocuscus, both...
(Spilocuscus papuensis) - Black-spotted CuscusBlack-spotted CuscusThe Black-spotted Cuscus is a species of marsupial in the Phalangeridae family. It is among the largest members of the family, only being surpassed by the bear cuscus. It is a relatively colourful species with whitish or yellowish underparts, rich rufous crown and limbs, and a black saddle or...
(Spilocuscus rufoniger) - Blue-eyed Spotted CuscusBlue-eyed Spotted CuscusThe Blue-eyed Spotted Cuscus or Biak Spotted Cuscus is a species of marsupial in the Phalangeridae family. It is endemic to the islands of Biak and Supiori in the Cenderawasih Bay in West Papua of Indonesia...
(Spilocuscus wilsoni)
- Admiralty Island Cuscus
- Genus Phalanger
- Tribe Trichosurini
- Genus Trichosurus
- Northern Brushtail PossumNorthern Brushtail PossumThe Northern Brushtail Possum is a nocturnal marsupial inhabiting northern Australia. It is closely related to the Short-eared Possum, Mountain Brushtail Possum, Coppery Brushtail Possum, and the Common Brushtail Possum, the other four species of its genus.- Appearance :Its fur is a grey in...
(Trichosurus arnhemensis) - Short-eared PossumShort-eared PossumThe Short-eared Possum is a species of marsupial in the Phalangeridae family. It is endemic to Australia.Found north of Sydney the species was once classed as a Mountain Brushtail Possum for which is its closest relative....
(Trichosurus caninus) - Mountain Brushtail PossumMountain Brushtail PossumThe Mountain Brushtail Possum, or Southern Bobuck , is a nocturnal, semi-arboreal marsupial of the family Phalangeridae native to southeastern Australia...
(Trichosurus cunninghami) - Coppery Brushtail PossumCoppery Brushtail PossumThe Coppery Brushtail Possum is a species of marsupial possum in the family Phalangeridae. Coppery Brushtails are found within the Atherton Tablelands area of Queensland, in northeastern Australia. These mammals inhabit rainforest ecosystems, living within the tree canopy. Though they have a...
(Trichosurus johnstonii) - Common Brushtail PossumCommon Brushtail PossumThe Common Brushtail Possum is a nocturnal, semi-arboreal marsupial of the family Phalangeridae, it is native to Australia, and the largest of the possums.Like most possums, the Common Brushtail is nocturnal...
(Trichosurus vulpecula)
- Northern Brushtail Possum
- Genus Wyulda
- Scaly-tailed PossumScaly-tailed PossumThe Scaly-tailed Possum or the Ilangnalya is found in northwestern Australia. It is restricted to the Kimberley region in Western Australia...
(Wyulda squamicaudata)
- Scaly-tailed Possum
- Genus Trichosurus
- Tribe Phalangerini