Pseudochirulus canescens (Waterhouse, 1846)

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2015, Pseudocheiridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 5 Monotremes and Marsupials, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 498-530 : 523

5.

Lowland Ring-tailed Possum

Pseudochirulus canescens

French: Possum cendré / German: Hundsringbeutler / Spanish: Falangero de cola anillada de tierras bajas

Other common names: Lowland Ringtall

Taxonomy. Phalangista (Pseudochirus) canescens Waterhouse, 1846 ,

Triton Bay, Fakfak Division, Prov. of Papua (= Irian Jaya), Indonesia.

This species seems to be polytypic, and up to five subspecies have been named; it is poorly known and needs a taxonomic revision. Monotypic.

Distribution. New Guinea, widespread throughout lowlands from the Bird's Head (= Vogelkop) Peninsula in W to Milne Bay Province in E, also present on Salawati and Yapen Is.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 20-23 cm, tail 17-20 cm; weight 235-380 g. The Lowland Ring-tailed Possum has a large black ear patch and black dorsalstripe. It occurs in two color morphs: rich red and gray. The Lowland Ring-tailed Possum and the Pygmy Ring-tailed Possum ( FP. mayeri ) are the smallest species of pseudocheirids.

Habitat. Secondary forest from sea level on the north coast to elevations of 1300 m in the Gulf and Western provinces of Papua New Guinea. Also appears to be common in hill zone forests of the upper Sepik River Basin. The Lowland Ring-tailed Possum is widespread but rare throughout its distribution.

Food and Feeding. Little is known about diets of Lowland Ring-tailed Possums, but stomach contents have included mosses, ferns, lichens, and leaves.

Breeding. [Lowland Ring-tailed Possums typically produce a single pouch young, although litters of three have been recorded. Pouch young have been observed in October, November, and February.

Activity patterns. There is no information available for this species other than it being nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no specific information available for this species, but individuals have been taken from a tree hollow and the top of a tree fern.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Lowland Ring-tailed Possum is known to be widespread throughout lowland hill forests in the central region of New Guinea, from Bird’s Head Peninsula in the west to Milne Bay Province (Papua New Guinea) in the east. There are thought to be no major current threats to the conservation of the Lowland Ring-tailed Possum. There is some degree of habitat loss through conversion of forest to small-scale agricultural use, and general human encroachment and overhunting for food occurs in ¢.25% ofthe distribution of the Lowland Ring-tailed Possum.

Bibliography. Flannery (1995a, 1995b), Helgen, Dickman & Aplin (2008), Hume et al. (1984).

Figures

1. Lemuroid Ring-tailed Possum (Hemabelideus lemuroides), 2. Central Greater Glider (Petauroides armillatus), 3. Northern Greater Glider (Petauroides minor), 4. Southern Greater Glider (Petawroides volans), 5. Lowland Ring-tailed Possum (Pseudochirulus canescens), 6. Weyland Ring-tailed Possum (Pseudochirulus carols), 7. Daintree River Ring-tailed Possum (Pseudochirulus cinereus), 8. Painted Ring-tailed Possum (Pseudochirulus forbesi), 9. Herbert River Ring-tailed Possum (Pseudochirulus herbertensis), 10. Masked Ring-tailed Possum (Pseudochirulus larvatus), 11. Pygmy Ring-tailed Possum (Pseudochirulus mayer), 12. Arfak Ring-tailed Possum (Pseudochirulus schlegeli)

Distribution. New Guinea, widespread throughout lowlands from the Bird's Head (= Vogelkop) Peninsula in W to Milne Bay Province in E, also present on Salawati and Yapen Is.