Rock-haunting ringtail possum
| Rock-haunting ringtail possum | |
|---|---|
_-_Museo_Civico_di_Storia_Naturale_Giacomo_Doria_-_Genoa,_Italy_-_DSC03035.JPG) |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
| Order: | Diprotodontia |
| Family: | Pseudocheiridae |
| Subfamily: | Pseudocheirinae |
| Genus: |
Petropseudes Thomas, 1923 |
| Species: | P. dahli |
| Binomial name | |
|
Petropseudes dahli (Collett, 1895) |
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| Rock-haunting ringtail possum range | |
The rock-haunting ringtail possum (Petropseudes dahli), also known as the rock ringtail possum, is a species of Australian possum. It is found in rocky escarpments in the Kimberley, Arnhem Land and Gulf of Carpentaria across Western Australia and Northern Territory and just passing the Queensland border. It is also found on Groote Eylandt. It the only species in the genus Petropseudes, but is part of the group including the common ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus).
The rock-haunting ringtail possum has one of the shortest tails of all ringtail possums, and at its end it is hairless and scaly. It lives in small groups and is mainly herbivorous. It has a stocky build and is mostly grey in colour.
The rock-haunting ringtail possum is almost the size of a small rabbit. It is grey to reddish-grey in colour on the back, while its underside is a light cream colour. It has white hair patches underneath its small, round ears and both above and below the eyes. A mid-dorsal stripe runs from the crown of the head to the middle of the back. Like other possums, it has a prehensile tail, adapted for grasping especially by wrapping around. However, the tail is unique in its appearance compared to that of other possums as it is covered with fur only halfway down. Males are 33.4 to 37.5 cm long while females are generally bigger and range from 34.9 to 38.3 cm in length and weigh between 1,280 and 2,000 grams. Another uncommon feature in the appearance of this species is that it has vertical pupils.
The rock-haunting ringtail possum disperses seeds through its fruit eating habits. It also influences termite populations and acts as prey for regional predators. The rock-haunting ringtail possum has been affected by human induced habitat fragmentation and hence, its numbers have decreased significantly. The species is listed as a priority species in Western Australia.
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Wikipedia