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.
Petauridae is a family of possums containing 11 species: four species of trioks and striped possum, six species of wrist-winged glider, and Leadbeater's possum, which has only vestigial gliding membranes. Most of the wrist-winged gliders are native to Australia, whereas most of the striped possums to New Guinea, but some members of each group are found on both sides of the Torres Strait. Leadbeater's possum is endemic to Victoria, Australia.
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.
The long-tailed pygmy possum is a diprotodont marsupial found in the rainforests of northern Australia and New Guinea. Living at altitudes of above 1,500 m (4,900 ft), it eats insects and nectar, and may eat pollen in place of insects in the wild.
The Daintree River ringtail possum, also known as the cinereus 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.
D'Albertis' ringtail possum is a species of marsupial in the family Pseudocheiridae. It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests.
The plush-coated ringtail possum or golden ringtail possum is a species of marsupial in the family Pseudocheiridae. It is found in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests.
The reclusive ringtail possum or Monk ringtail possum is a species of marsupial in the family Pseudocheiridae. It is endemic to the Arfak Mountains in the Vogelkop Peninsula of West Papua, Indonesia.
The coppery ringtail possum is a species of marsupial in the family Pseudocheiridae. It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
The lowland ringtail possum is a species of marsupial in the family Pseudocheiridae. It is found in Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea.
Slender ringtail possum or Small ringtail possum (Pseudochirulus), also known as the ringtail possum, is a genus of marsupial in the family Pseudocheiridae native to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Queensland, Australia. Pseudochirulus live on trees and their diet mainly consists of leaves. The ringtail possums are related to five other genera Hemibelideus, Petauroides, Petropseudes, Pseudocheirus and Pseudochirops.
The Weyland ringtail possum is a species of marsupial in the family Pseudocheiridae. It is endemic to the western Central Cordillera of Papua Province, Indonesia. P. caroli is also "known from four localities west of the Star Mountains" and tends to live in montane forest or other hilly areas. Currently the Weyland ringtail is not endangered, but should be "monitored [because] it could rapidly become threatened if either human encroachment or hunting were to increase significantly."
The pygmy ringtail possum is a species of marsupial in the family Pseudocheiridae. It is found in the montane forest regions of Papua New Guinea and West Papua, Indonesia. They are "widespread along the Central Cordillera" and live at elevations between 1,500 and 3,600 metres above sea level.”
The Vogelkop ringtail possum is a species of marsupial in the family Pseudocheiridae. It is endemic to the Vogelkop Peninsula, West Papua, Indonesia.
Ringtail, ring tail, or ring-tail may refer to:
Petauroidea is a superfamily of marsupials from Australia and New Guinea. It is part of the suborder Phalangeriformes within the order Diprotodontia, which also includes, among others, wombats, kangaroos, cuscuses. The superfamily Phalangeroidea, including cuscuses and brushtail possums and pygmy possums, is the immediate sister group of the Petauroidea.
The masked ringtail possum is a marsupial possum of the family Pseudocheiridae. It is found in northeastern New Guinea in the Star Mountains. the eastern Central Cordillera, the Huon Peninsula and the northern coast ranges. Masked ringtails are arboreal residents of various forest ecosystems. They are sexually dimorphic and locally common. This species is sometimes classified as a subpopulation of P. forbesi; however, it has a separate range.
The Huon Peninsula montane rain forests is a tropical moist forest ecoregion in New Guinea. The ecoregion covers the mountains of northeastern New Guinea's Huon Peninsula.
