Spilocuscus maculatus (E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1803)

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2015, Phalangeridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 5 Monotremes and Marsupials, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 456-497 : 496-497

28.

Common Spotted Cuscus

Spilocuscus maculatus

French: Phalanger tacheté / German: Tlipfelkuskus / Spanish: Cuscis moteado de Nueva Guinea

Other common names: Short-tailed Spotted Cuscus, Spotted Phalanger

Taxonomy. Phalangista maculata E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1803 ,

“ Les Moluques ” (= Moluccas, Indonesia).

Taxonomy of this species is unstable, and it likely comprises more than one species. Here, representatives from mainland New Guinea and the Moluccas are referred to as S. maculatus , but there are very substantial differences between various regional populations. Major taxonomic reviews of this group are pending, and no subspecies are recognized here. S. nudicaudatus has typically been recognized as a subspecies of S. maculatus , but it is best recognized as a distinct species. Monotypic.

Distribution. New Guinea, including Yapen, Mios Num, and Roon Is in Cenderawasih (= Geelvink) Bay, Karkar and Walis Is off the N coast, Raja Ampat Is of Salawati, Sorong, and Misool, SE Papua New Guinea Is of Samarai (= Dinner) and Dufaure (= Dufour), and Aru Is. It is present on many islands of C & S Moluccas (Seram, Ambon, Pulau Pandjang, Buru, and the Tayandu and Kai archipelagos). It has been introduced to Selayar I between Sulawesi and Flores (W occurrence of the species), and there are vague records from Flores and Sulawesi, which may also refer to the Selayar population. This species was also apparently introduced to Mussau (St. Matthias Group, NE Bismarck Archipelago) in prehistoric times and to New Ireland I (Bismarck Archipelago) in the 20™ century.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 42-74 cm, tail 38.5-70.7 cm; weight 2.4-6.1 kg. The Common Spotted Cuscus is a medium-sized to large species, highly variable in size, with highly variable coat color that ranges from entirely white or orange to mottled ginger, ash-gray, or deep red and brown with dark brown to black spotting or saddle. Ears are small and hidden in fur, and there is no dorsal stripe. In western New Guinea and northern New Guinea everywhere north of the Central Range, populations of Common Spotted Cuscuses are orange and white, generally lacking dark brown tones; females are often all white or all orange (“saddled” specimens are rare or unknown), while males are more commonly orange-spotted on a white base color. In southern New Guinea from the Fly River to the Port Moresby region, populations have darker brown tones; females are typically cream-colored on rump, tail, ears, forearms, and underside (from chin to tail), with head and nape with stronger yellowish tipping, yielding a somewhat paler anterior dorsum; hands, feet, face, and sometimes distal tail are red-brown; and saddle is blackish. Basal color of malesis yellow-cream, marked by brown (generally dark grayish-brown, distinctly darker than striking orange-brown or red-brown tones of northern and western individuals), with hands, feet, face, and distal part oftail usually red-brown and sometimes with an orange infusion (or orange spotting) along midline of nape and back. In south-western New Guinea from the Fly River west to the Bomberai (= Fakfak) Peninsula, the great majority of adult male Common Spotted Cuscuses have chocolate-brown spotting, and females usually have a dark brown or blackish saddle. In the most common patterning seen in these populations, venter and base color of dorsum are cream-colored, and forelimbs, shoulders, and nape are typically orange or reddish, with blackish blotching or spotting (in males) or a blackish saddle (in females) on mid-back and hindlimbs. In the Moluccas, Common Spotted Cuscuses are smaller than on mainland New Guinea, and coloris highly variable; some individuals are similar in color to populations from the south-western New Guinea mainland, but a common variant is a mostly gray morph, unspotted in females and spotted in males, resembling the Australian Spotted Cuscus (S. nudicaudatus).

Habitat. Virtually all lowland forest areas, including primary, secondary, and degraded forests, from sea level to elevations of c.1400 m, although typically found below 1000 m. The Common Spotted Cuscus has been observed in lowland forest, mangrove forest, riverine hill forest, low montane forest, and eucalypt woodland. It thrives on island contexts and on mainland New Guinea, and it has been introduced on some islands.

Food and Feeding. Diets of Common Spotted Cuscuses include leaves, buds, stems, flowers, and fruit of various genera of trees. They have been known to eat leaves of the genera Aceratium (Elaeocarpaceae) , Alstonia (Apocynaceae) , Asplenium (Aspleniaceae) , Barringtonia (Lecythidaceae) , Canarium (Burseraceae) , Euodia (Rutaceae) , Ficus (Moraceae) , Glochidion (Phyllanthaceae) , Inocarpus and Intsia (both Fabaceae ), Macaranga (Euphorbiaceae) , Merremia (Convolvulaceae) , Piper (Piperaceae) , Pometia (Sapindaceae) , Pongamia (Fabaceae) , Premna (Lamiaceae) , Rhus (Anacardiaceae) , Stenochlaena (Blechnaceae) , Syzygium (Myrtaceae) , Terminalia (Combretaceae) , and Timonius (Rubiaceae) . Fruits of the genera Aglaia (Meliaceae) , Burckella (Sapotaceae) , Cocos (Arecaceae) , Fuodia, Ficus , Glochidion , Lithocarpus (Fagaceae) , Macaranga , and Syzygium and flowers of the genera Barringtonia and Glochidion are also eaten. Buds of Aceratium, Fuodia , Ficus , Glochidion , and Intsia and stems of Merremia are also eaten.

Breeding. Observations of captive Common Spotted Cuscuses suggest that females have an estrous cycle of 28 days. Young vacate the pouch by c.6 months of age.

Activity patterns. The Common Spotted Cuscus is arboreal and probably mostly nocturnal, but it is also active by day. It rests in canopy foliage of large trees on a branch enclosed by foliage or in crown of a coconut palm, liana tangles, and bamboo thickets. To assist thermoregulation, licking is important at moderate temperatures, while panting is the major avenue for evaporative cooling at high temperatures.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. It has been suggested that male Common Spotted Cuscuses guard territories and keep visual contact with each other from vantage points high in the canopy. One suggestion is that color of males is a compromise between being conspicuous as possible to other males while also providing a degree of camouflage from predators. When females are in peak estrous, they are known to call almost continuously throughout the night, with the call sounding like a cross between a hiss and a donkey's bray.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Least Concern on The [UCN Red List. The Common Spotted Cuscus has a wide distribution with a large overall population. It is conspicuously absent from East Papuan islands (e.g. D’Entrecasteaux and Louisiade archipelagos). On mainland New Guinea, it is widely sympatric with the Black-spotted Cuscus ( S. rufoniger ) from Bird’s Head lowlands in the west to Huon Gulf in the east. The Common Spotted Cuscus also appears to be somewhat resilient to habitat disturbance and hunting so its overall population is thought to be stable. Habitat loss and hunting are major impacts locally. Young Common Spotted Cuscus are often captured by local people, reared, and then used for food or as pets.

Bibliography. Dawson & Degabriele (1973), Flannery (1994a, 1995a, 1995b), Heinsohn (2004b), Helgen (2007c), Leary, Singadan, Menzies, Helgen, Wright, Allison, Aplin & Dickman (2008), Ramsay (1876a), Saragih et al. (2010), Sasaoka (2000), Singadan (1996), Wemmer & Collins (1977).

Figures

11. Peleng Cuscus (Phalanger pelengensus), 12. Moluccan Cuscus (Phalanger ornatus), 13. Gebe Cuscus (Phalanger alexandrae), 14. Obi Cuscus (Phalanger rothschildi), 15. Ground Cuscus (Phalanger gymnotis), 16. Woodlark Cuscus (Phalanger lullulae), 17. Northern Common Cuscus (Phalanger orientalis), 18. Eastern Common Cuscus (Phalanger intercastellanus), 19. Southern Common Cuscus (Phalanger mimicus), 20. Telefomin Cuscus (Phalanger matanim), 21. Stein’s Cuscus (Phalanger vestitus), 22. Silky Cuscus (Phalanger sericeus), 23. Mountain Cuscus (Phalanger carmelitae), 24. Black Spotted Cuscus (Spilocuscus rufoniger), 25. Waigeo Spotted Cuscus (Spilocuscus papuensis), 26. Admiralty Spotted Cuscus (Spilocuscus kraemeri), 27. Blue-eyed Spotted Cuscus (Spilocuscus wilsoni), 28. Common Spotted Cuscus (Spilocuscus maculatus), 29. Australian Spotted Cuscus (Spilocuscus nudicaudatus)

Distribution. New Guinea, including Yapen, Mios Num, and Roon Is in Cenderawasih (= Geelvink) Bay, Karkar and Walis Is off the N coast, Raja Ampat Is of Salawati, Sorong, and Misool, SE Papua New Guinea Is of Samarai (= Dinner) and Dufaure (= Dufour), and Aru Is. It is present on many islands of C & S Moluccas (Seram, Ambon, Pulau Pandjang, Buru, and the Tayandu and Kai archipelagos). It has been introduced to Selayar I between Sulawesi and Flores (W occurrence of the species), and there are vague records from Flores and Sulawesi, which may also refer to the Selayar population. This species was also apparently introduced to Mussau (St. Matthias Group, NE Bismarck Archipelago) in prehistoric times and to New Ireland I (Bismarck Archipelago) in the 20™ century.