Lemur-like ringtail possum

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Lemur-like ringtail possum [1]
PhalangistaLemuroidesSmit.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Marsupialia
Order: Diprotodontia
Family: Pseudocheiridae
Subfamily: Hemibelideinae
Genus: Hemibelideus
Collett 1884
Species:
H. lemuroides
Binomial name
Hemibelideus lemuroides
(Collett, 1884)
Lemur-like Ringtail Possum area.png
Lemur-like ringtail possum range

The lemur-like ringtail possum (Hemibelideus lemuroides), also known as the lemuroid ringtail possum or the brushy-tailed ringtail, is one of the most singular members of the ringtail possum group. It was once thought that they were gliding possums (Petauroides volans); Hemibelideus literally translates as "half-glider" (belideus being a diminutive form of Petaurus , meaning "glider"). [3] They are similar to lemurs in their facial characteristics, with short snouts, large, forward-facing eyes and small ears, but similar to gliders in their musculo-skeletal adaptations to accommodate a leaping lifestyle. Their long, prehensile tail is a further adaptation to their arboreal habitat. [3]

In Queensland, Australia Hemibelideus lemuroides -Queensland-8.jpg
In Queensland, Australia

It has a bushier tail when compared to other ringtails, and can be distinguished from the greater glider by its lack of gliding membrane and much shorter, hairless ears. It is a social possum, and is found in two main colour forms: the more common brownish-gray form, [3] with a yellowish underbelly, and a rare white form, which occurred in the Daintree Rainforest and was last seen in 2005 in Mount Lewis National Park, and in 2008 believed to have been nearly extinct. [4] [5] [6]

This possum is found in a small area of only about 300,000 hectares in total, between Ingham and Cairns in Queensland, Australia, and in an isolated population on the Mount Carbine Tableland, [4] both within the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. [6] They are strictly arboreal and live in the high canopies of mature forests and favour particular tree types, usually found above 480–900 metres in elevation. Body length is 30–38 cm and tail length 30–35 cm, weighing between 810 and 1140 grams. [3]

Stephen Williams, researcher on climate change and biodiversity at the Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change at James Cook University, Queensland, stated that none were seen for several years after the heat waves of 2005, when first a few were spotted (three were observed in the Daintree National Park, on Cape York Peninsula in 2009 [7] ) then increasing numbers as they slowly recovered. [6] Williams said in 2009 that there was no reason to believe the white variant would be impacted more than the brown. [7]

Then the next heatwave in struck in November 2018, when the Cairns region was hit by the highest temperatures since records began – even the highest mountain in the wet tropics reached 39 °C. Many tropical species cannot cope with extreme heat, not having evolved mechanisms to cool their bodies down, according to Williams; they can die from temperatures above 29 degrees. He said that over the past 15 years systematically species have started to disappear from the lower elevations, causing the total populations to decline as they are constrained to smaller areas at higher elevations. This puts pressure on creatures living in the mountain summits such as the lemuroid possum, which have nowhere else to go; the nearest rainforest is 1000 kilometres away. [6]

Related Research Articles

Phalangeriformes Suborder of arboreal marsupials

Phalangeriformes is a paraphyletic suborder of about 70 species of small to medium-sized arboreal marsupials native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi. The species are commonly known as possums, gliders, and cuscus. The common name "possum" for various Phalangeriformes species derives from the creatures' resemblance to the opossums of the Americas. However, although opossums are also marsupials, Australasian possums are more closely related to other Australasian marsupials such as kangaroos.

Daintree National Park Protected area in Queensland, Australia

The Daintree rainforest is a national park in Far North Queensland, Australia, 1,757 km (1,092 mi) northwest of Brisbane and 100 km (62 mi) northwest of Cairns. It was founded in 1981 and is part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland. In 1988 it became a World Heritage Site. The park consists of two sections, with a settled agricultural area between them which includes the towns of Mossman and Daintree Village.

Queensland tropical rain forests

The Queensland tropical rain forests ecoregion covers a portion of the coast of Queensland in northeastern Australia and belonging to the Australasian realm. The forest contains the world's best living record of the major stages in the evolutionary history of the world's land plants, including most of the world's relict species of plants from the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana. The history of the evolution of marsupials and songbirds is also well represented.

Feathertail glider Species of mammal

The feathertail glider, also known as the pygmy gliding possum, pygmy glider, pygmy phalanger, flying phalanger and flying mouse, is a species of marsupial native to eastern Australia. It is the world's smallest gliding mammal and is named for its long feather-shaped tail.

Petauridae Family of marsupials

The family Petauridae includes 11 medium-sized possum species: four striped possums, six species of wrist-winged gliders in the genus Petaurus and Leadbeater's possum, which has only vestigial gliding membranes. Most of the wrist-winged gliders are native to Australia, most of the striped possums to New Guinea, but some members of each are found on both sides of the Torres Strait.

Common ringtail possum Species of marsupial

The common ringtail possum is an Australian marsupial. It lives in a variety of habitats and eats a variety of leaves of both native and introduced plants, as well as flowers, fruits and sap. This possum also consumes a special type of faeces that is produced during the daytime when it is resting in a nest. This behaviour is called caecotrophy and is similar to that seen in rabbits.

Daintree River

The Daintree River is a river that rises in the Daintree Rainforest near Cape Tribulation in Far North Queensland, Australia. The river is located about 100 kilometres (62 mi) northwest of Cairns in the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Wet Tropics of Queensland. The area is now primarily a tourist attraction.

Pseudocheiridae Family of marsupials

Pseudocheiridae is a family of arboreal marsupials containing 17 extant species of ringtailed possums and close relatives. They are found in forested areas and shrublands throughout Australia and New Guinea.

Greater sooty owl Species of owl

The greater sooty owl is a medium to large owl found in south-eastern Australia, Montane rainforests of New Guinea and have been seen on Flinders Island in the Bass Strait. They have a finely white spotted head with scattered white spots on the wings. The females are lighter colored than the males. The females' length is 37–43 cm and weighs 750-1200 g. The smaller male has a length of 37–43 cm and weighs 500-700 g. The wing length is 30–40 cm. The large dark eyes are set in a round large facial disk. The facial disk is dark gray-silver or sooty black and has a heavy black edge. The upper part of the owl is black to dark gray and the under part is lighter. The tail is short and the legs are feathered. The feet and talons are large. Their call is a piercing shriek which can last up to two seconds.

<i>Pseudocheirus</i> Genus of marsupials

Pseudocheirus is a genus of ringtail possums. It includes a single living species, the common ringtail possum of Australia, as well as the fossil Pseudocheirus marshalli from the Pliocene of Victoria.

Striped possum Species of marsupial

The striped possum or common striped possum is a member of the marsupial family Petauridae. it is found mainly in New Guinea. The species is black with three white stripes running head to tail, and its head has white stripes that form a 'Y' shape. It is closely related to the sugar glider, and is similar in appearance.

Yellow-bellied glider Species of marsupial

The yellow-bellied glider, also known as the fluffy glider, is an arboreal and nocturnal gliding possum that lives in native eucalypt forests in eastern Australia, from northern Queensland south to Victoria.

Greater glider Genus of marsupials

The greater gliders are three species of large gliding marsupials in the genus Petauroides, all of which are found in eastern Australia. Until 2020 they were considered to be one species, Petauroides volans. In 2020 morphological and genetic differences, obtained using diversity arrays technology, showed there were three species subsumed under this one name. The two new species were named Petauroides armillatus and Petauroides minor.

Herbert River ringtail possum Species of marsupial

The Herbert River ringtail possum is a species of possum found in northeastern Queensland, Australia. It is a dark brown to black species, sometimes with a white belly. The Herbert River ringtail possum was long considered conspecific with the cinereus ringtail possum, despite the fact that they are very different in appearance. They are, however, the only members of their New Guinea-centred genus found in Australia. The Herbert River ringtail possum is restricted to tropical rainforest from Mount Lee, west of Ingham, to the Lamb Range, west of Cairns.

Cinereus ringtail possum Species of marsupial

The cinereus ringtail possum, also known as the Daintree River ringtail possum, is a species of possum found in northeastern Queensland, Australia. It was long believed to be the same as the Herbert River ringtail possum, but has recently been separated. The two species differ considerably in appearance.

Ringtail, ring tail, or ring-tail may refer to:

Windsor Tablelands Queensland, Australia

The Windsor Tablelands are a series of plateaus located in Far North Queensland, Australia. The Windsor Tableland and surrounding rainforest area are contained as part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland, sitting between the Daintree Rainforest and Mount Lewis National Park. Additionally, the region is contained in the state electorate of Cook and situated in the greater Tablelands Region of North Queensland. The Tablelands hug the mountain ranges of the Great Dividing Range with the nearest town being Wujal Wujal. The Tableland area is a larger part of the Mount Windsor Forest Reserve which represents 44,000 hectares of land in the Wet Tropic region and is a conserved nature area, as proclaimed by the Government of Queensland in 2005. Predominately the majority of the Mount Windsor Tableland is closed off for any form of public use and access to the area is often only given on request. There is currently no residential population in the Mount Windsor Tableland region as a majority of the area is national park.

References

  1. ↑ Groves, C. P. (2005). Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 50–51. ISBN   0-801-88221-4. OCLC   62265494.
  2. ↑ Burnett, S.; Winter, J. (2019). "Hemibelideus lemuroides". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T9869A21962427. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T9869A21962427.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Humfleet, Jennifer (2006). "Hemibelideus lemuroides: lemuroid ringtail possum". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  4. 1 2 Menkhorst, Peter (2001). A Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia. Oxford University Press. p. 98.
  5. ↑ Malkin, Bonnie (3 December 2008). "Australia's white possum could be first victim of climate change". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. ISSN   0307-1235. OCLC   49632006. Archived from the original on 30 July 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Deacon, Ben (3 February 2019). "As the cloud forests get hotter, the white lemuroid possum gets closer to extinction". ABC News. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  7. 1 2 Schwarten, Evan (27 March 2009). "'Extinct' possum found in Daintree". Nine News. Archived from the original on 30 July 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
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