Scaly-tailed Possum
Encyclopedia
The Scaly-tailed Possum or the Ilangnalya (Wyulda squamicaudata) is found in northwestern Australia
. It is restricted to the Kimberley
region in Western Australia
. As it is monotypic
in its genus
, it is sometimes known simply by its genus — the Wyulda.
The Scaly-tailed Possum is a member of the family Phalangeridae
, which means that it is related to cuscus
es and brushtail possum
s. It is a solitary nocturnal forager
that feeds on leaves, flower
s and fruit.
As its name implies, its distinguishing feature is a hairless, scaly tail.
The possum has a limited range and is found in high rainfall coastal regions of the north Kimberley between Yampi Sound
and Kalumburu
, populations also inhabit Bigge Island and Boongaree Island. The preferred habitat
of this animal is sandstone
based woodland
s where it can shelter in rock piles and fissures and feed in the tree
s..
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...
. It is restricted to the Kimberley
Kimberley region of Western Australia
The Kimberley is one of the nine regions of Western Australia. It is located in the northern part of Western Australia, bordered on the west by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the Timor Sea, on the south by the Great Sandy and Tanami Deserts, and on the east by the Northern Territory.The region...
region in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. As it is monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
in its genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
, it is sometimes known simply by its genus — the Wyulda.
The Scaly-tailed Possum is a member of the family Phalangeridae
Phalangeridae
Phalangeridae is a family of nocturnal marsupials native to Australia and New Guinea, including the cuscuses, brushtail possums, and their close relatives...
, which means that it is related to cuscus
Cuscus
Cuscus is the common name generally given to the species within the four genera of Australasian possum:* Ailurops* Phalanger* Spilocuscus* Strigocuscus...
es and 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. It is a solitary nocturnal forager
Forager
A forager is one who forages, i.e. looks for forage.Forager may refer to:*A hunter-gatherer*Forager , a fictional superhero published by DC Comics*Foraging theory, a branch of behavioral ecology...
that feeds on leaves, flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s and fruit.
As its name implies, its distinguishing feature is a hairless, scaly tail.
The possum has a limited range and is found in high rainfall coastal regions of the north Kimberley between Yampi Sound
Yampi Sound
Yampi Sound is a part of the Indian Ocean off the coast of northwestern Australia, located between King Sound and Collier Bay. The islands of the Buccaneer Archipelago, located in the sound, contain rich silver and iron ore deposits. The high grade iron ore deposits has been mined in the Sound...
and Kalumburu
Kalumburu, Western Australia
Kalumburu and Kalumburu Community are both bounded localities within the Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley Western Australia. Kalumburu Community is the northernmost settlement in Western Australia...
, populations also inhabit Bigge Island and Boongaree Island. The preferred habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
of this animal is sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
based woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
s where it can shelter in rock piles and fissures and feed in the tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s..