Southwestern pygmy possum
| Western pygmy possum Temporal range: – Recent |
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| Captive western pygmy possum at Cleland Wildlife Park, South Australia 2013 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
| Order: | Diprotodontia |
| Family: | Burramyidae |
| Genus: | Cercartetus |
| Species: | C. concinnus |
| Binomial name | |
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Cercartetus concinnus (Gould, 1845) |
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| Western pygmy possum range | |
The western pygmy possum (Cercartetus concinnus), also known as the southwestern pygmy possum or the mundarda, is a small marsupial found in Australia. Genetic studies indicate its closest relative is probably the eastern pygmy possum, from which its ancestors diverged around eight million years ago.
The western pygmy possum is unusual in Cercartetus, as, unlike its grey relatives, the fur over most of its body is a bright cinnamon colour. It has pure white underparts, which also distinguishes it from its relatives, and has a relatively indistinct patch of darker fur in front of the eyes. It possesses larger, oval ears, large eyes, and long whiskers. The tail is long and prehensile, and is covered with fine scales, rather than fur. The hind feet have opposable first digits, while all four feet have broad pads at the tips of the toes.
Although small compared with most other possums, it is one of the larger pygmy possums, with adults ranging from 5.7–7.2 cm (2.2–2.8 in) in head-body length with a tail 7.7–8.7 cm (3.0–3.4 in) long. Adult weight ranges from 8–21 g (0.28–0.74 oz). The female has a well-developed pouch, opening to the front, containing six teats. At up to 1.2 cm (0.47 in) in length, the tongue is unusually large for such a small animal.
This possum is vulnerable due to habitat loss and lack of food. It has a patchy distribution which includes southwestern Western Australia, as well as wheat belt areas of South Australia, Kangaroo Island, and Victoria south to Edenhope. It is also found on in far southwestern New South Wales, where it is listed as endangered. It inhabits semiarid woodland, shrubland, and heath, dominated by plants such as bottlebrushes, melaleuca, banksia, and grevillea. Although there had been previously thought to be two subspecies, separated in distribution by the Nullarbor Plain, genetic studies have not revealed any significant difference between the eastern and western populations. Furthermore, while the species is no longer native to the area, fossils from the Nullarbor Plain region are known.
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Wikipedia