Cercartetus caudatus (Milne-Edwards, 1877)

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2015, Burramyidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 5 Monotremes and Marsupials, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 436-455 : 453

2.

Long-tailed Pygmy Possum

Cercartetus caudatus

French: Possum-loir a longue queue / German: Langschwanz-Bilchbeutler / Spanish: Pésum pigmeo de cola larga

Other common names: Long-tailed Pygmy-possum, Queensland Pygmy Possum

Taxonomy. Dromicia caudata Milne-Edwards, 1877 ,

“ Nouvelle-Guinée .”

Two subspecies are recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

C.c.caudatusMilne-Edwards,1877—highlandsofNewGuinea,Bird'sHead(=Vogelkop)Peninsula,CentralRange,andHuonPeninsula.

C. c. wwcrwrus Mjbberg, 1916 -N Queensland (between Cooktown and Townsville).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 10.3-10.8 cm,tail 12.8-15.1 cm; weight 25-40 g. The Long-tailed Pygmy Possum has brownish-gray fur above and pale gray below; black patches around eyes. The Long-tailed pygmy possum has large eyes and large mouselike ears. Prehensile tail of the Long-tailed Pygmy Possum is 1-2 times the length of the head-body and generally greater than 14 cm in length. Upper third premolar is smaller than molars and is not grooved or serrated. Females” well-developed pouches open anteriorly.

Habitat. Primary and secondary rainforests at elevations of 1500-3450 m in New Guinea and coastal plain Eucalyptus — Melaleuca forest between Cooktown and Daintree River and rainforest above elevations of 300 m between Daintree River and Townsville, Australia.

Food and Feeding. Stomach contents of seven Long-tailed Pygmy Possums collected on Mount Kaindi and Mount Bosavi in New Guinea suggest they are primarily insectivorous, and potentially exudivorous, because they included finely masticated arthropod fragments. Insects in the diet include tree-crickets, cockroaches, spiders, moths, and beetles. It also appears that Long-tailed Pygmy Possums consume plant exudates. Stomach contents also included liverwort of moss and several small fragments of bark, suggesting they gouge trees for sap. In Queensland, Long-tailed Pygmy Possums feed on nectar and possibly pollen of bumpy satinash ( Syzygium cormiflorum, Myrtaceae ).

Breeding. In Australia (and possibly New Guinea), Long-tailed Pygmy Possums appear to breed twice each year because births have been recorded in January-February and August-November, coinciding with change in testes size of males. Females have been found with 1-4 young, which leave the pouch when they weigh 5-7 g at c.45 days of age. Young become independent of their mothers when they weigh 10-15 g at 80-92 days of age. Captive female Long-tailed Pygmy Possums are sexually mature at c.15 months old.

Activity patterns. Long-tailed Pygmy Possums are nocturnal, and during the day, they nest in different locations. In New Guinea, 80 individuals were captured on Mount Erimbari, of which 59 were taken from nests in pitpit grass ( Saccharum sp. , Poaceae ), with an additional 13 nests beneath fronds of Pandanus (Pandanaceae) palm and one from a hollow tree. In Australia, the few records of nesting include in a clump of ferns and a hollow rotten stump. Observed nests are approximately 15 cm in diameter, spherical in structure, and made of dead leaves. Similar to the other species of pygmy possums, Long-tailed Pygmy Possums also enter torpor, typically at ambient temperatures of 7-9°C. During the night, they are very active and agile and are capable of making horizontal leaps of a meter of more.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Little is known of the movements and social behavior of Long-tailed Pigmy Possums other than they are highly active and can make leaps of over 1 m. They have been observed to nest in groups of 1-5 individuals. Predators of Long-tailed Pygmy Possums include owls, quolls (Dasyurus spp.), and pythons.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. There are no major conservation threats recognized for the Long-tailed Pygmy Possum in Australia or New Guinea, although introduced domestic and feral cats could be a threat in some parts of the distribution of the Long-tailed Pygmy Possum.

Bibliography. Aplin, Dickman, Salas, Burnett & Winter (2008), Atherton & Haffenden (1982), Coleman (1970), Dwyer (1977), Flannery (1995a), Hope (1976), Smith (1986).

Figures

1. Mountain Pygmy Possum (Burramys parvus), 2. Long-tailed Pygmy Possum (Cercartetus caudatus), 3. Western Pygmy Possum (Cercartetus concinnus), 4. Little Pygmy Possum (Cercartetus lepidus), 5. Eastern Pygmy Possum (Cercartetus nanus)

Subspecies and Distribution. C.c.caudatusMilne-Edwards,1877—highlandsofNewGuinea,Bird'sHead(=Vogelkop)Peninsula,CentralRange,andHuonPeninsula. C. c. wwcrwrus Mjbberg, 1916 -N Queensland (between Cooktown and Townsville).