Mountain Pygmy Possum
Encyclopedia
The Mountain Pygmy Possum (Burramys parvus) is a small, mouse
-sized (weighs 45 g) nocturnal marsupial
of Australia
found in dense alpine rock screes and boulder fields, mainly southern Victoria
and around Mount Kosciuszko
in Kosciuszko National Park
in New South Wales
at elevations from 1300 to 2230 m. At almost 14 cm, its prehensile tail is longer than its 11 cm combined head and body length. Its diet consists of insects (such as the Bogong Moth
), fleshy fruits, nuts
, nectar and seed
s. Its body is covered in a thick coat
of fine grey fur except for its stomach, which is cream colored; its tail is hairless. On the underside of the female's body is a pouch containing four teats. This possum
is the only extant species in the Burramys
genus. It is also the only Australian mammal restricted to alpine habitat.
The Mountain Pygmy Possum was first described as a Pleistocene
fossil by Robert Broom
in 1896. It was thought to be extinct until 1966, when a living specimen was discovered in a ski-hut on Mount Hotham.
Three geographically isolated populations are known to exist, at Mount Buller (Victoria
) (discovered in 1996), Mount Bogong
- Mount Higginbotham/Mount Hotham
(Victoria
) and Kosciuszko National Park
(New South Wales
), and these populations have been shown to be genetically distinct. For most of the year, males and females live apart from each other. The females live on the better part of the rocky slopes, while the males live on the margins, usually lower on the mountain. In order to breed, the males migrate to the females' habitat. However, during the peak of the ski season on Mount Higginbotham, the males had to cross a road which put their survival in jeopardy. In an attempt to solve the problem, a "Tunnel of Love" was constructed under the road and a road sign was put in place to warn drivers.
To further preserve the Mountain Pygmy Possum, a small proportion of the Perisher Blue Ski Resort, New South Wales, Australia, has been 'roped-off' to prevent resort guests (skiers and snowboarders) from disturbing the possums whilst they hibernate. It is estimated that there are only about 2000 Mountain Pygmy Possums remaining.
Mouse
A mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
-sized (weighs 45 g) nocturnal marsupial
Marsupial
Marsupials are an infraclass of mammals, characterized by giving birth to relatively undeveloped young. Close to 70% of the 334 extant species occur in Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands, with the remaining 100 found in the Americas, primarily in South America, but with thirteen in Central...
of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
found in dense alpine rock screes and boulder fields, mainly southern Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
and around Mount Kosciuszko
Mount Kosciuszko
Mount Kosciuszko is a mountain located in the Snowy Mountains in Kosciuszko National Park. With a height of 2,228 metres above sea level, it is the highest mountain in Australia...
in Kosciuszko National Park
Kosciuszko National Park
Kosciuszko National Park covers 690,000 hectares and contains mainland Australia's highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko for which it is named, and Cabramurra the highest town in Australia...
in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
at elevations from 1300 to 2230 m. At almost 14 cm, its prehensile tail is longer than its 11 cm combined head and body length. Its diet consists of insects (such as the Bogong Moth
Bogong moth
The Bogong moth is a temperate species of night-flying moth notable for appearing in large numbers around major public buildings in Canberra, the capital city of Australia, during spring as it migrates to the High Plains. The moth's name 'Bogong' is the same as the mountain ranges on the High...
), fleshy fruits, nuts
Nut (fruit)
A nut is a hard-shelled fruit of some plants having an indehiscent seed. While a wide variety of dried seeds and fruits are called nuts in English, only a certain number of them are considered by biologists to be true nuts...
, nectar and seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s. Its body is covered in a thick coat
Fur
Fur is a synonym for hair, used more in reference to non-human animals, usually mammals; particularly those with extensives body hair coverage. The term is sometimes used to refer to the body hair of an animal as a complete coat, also known as the "pelage". Fur is also used to refer to animal...
of fine grey fur except for its stomach, which is cream colored; its tail is hairless. On the underside of the female's body is a pouch containing four teats. This possum
Possum
A possum is any of about 70 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupial species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi .Possums are quadrupedal diprotodont marsupials with long tails...
is the only extant species in the Burramys
Burramys
Burramys is a genus of the family Burramyidae, and is represented by one living and 3 extinct species. It is one of two genera of pygmy possum, the other being Cercartetus.-Taxonomy:*Genus Burramys**†Burramys wakefieldi...
genus. It is also the only Australian mammal restricted to alpine habitat.
The Mountain Pygmy Possum was first described as a Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
fossil by Robert Broom
Robert Broom
Professor Robert Broom was a Scottish South African doctor and paleontologist. He qualified as a medical practitioner in 1895 and received his DSc in 1905 from the University of Glasgow...
in 1896. It was thought to be extinct until 1966, when a living specimen was discovered in a ski-hut on Mount Hotham.
Three geographically isolated populations are known to exist, at Mount Buller (Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
) (discovered in 1996), Mount Bogong
Mount Bogong
Mount Bogong , located in the Alpine National Park, is the highest mountain in Victoria, Australia. The Big River separates the massif of the mountain from the Bogong High Plains to the south. "Bogong" in the local Aboriginal language means bigfella...
- Mount Higginbotham/Mount Hotham
Mount Hotham
Mount Hotham is a mountain in Victoria, Australia. It is home to Hotham Alpine Resort. The mountain is located approximately north east of Melbourne, from Sydney, and from Adelaide by road. Mt Hotham's summit rises to an altitude of above sea level...
(Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
) and Kosciuszko National Park
Kosciuszko National Park
Kosciuszko National Park covers 690,000 hectares and contains mainland Australia's highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko for which it is named, and Cabramurra the highest town in Australia...
(New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
), and these populations have been shown to be genetically distinct. For most of the year, males and females live apart from each other. The females live on the better part of the rocky slopes, while the males live on the margins, usually lower on the mountain. In order to breed, the males migrate to the females' habitat. However, during the peak of the ski season on Mount Higginbotham, the males had to cross a road which put their survival in jeopardy. In an attempt to solve the problem, a "Tunnel of Love" was constructed under the road and a road sign was put in place to warn drivers.
To further preserve the Mountain Pygmy Possum, a small proportion of the Perisher Blue Ski Resort, New South Wales, Australia, has been 'roped-off' to prevent resort guests (skiers and snowboarders) from disturbing the possums whilst they hibernate. It is estimated that there are only about 2000 Mountain Pygmy Possums remaining.
External links
- ARKive - images and movies of the mountain pygmy possum (Burramys parvus)
- climateXchange - http://climatexchange.aspacnet.org/story_63.htmlvideo interview with pygmy possum researcher Dr Linda Broome at Charlotte Pass, NSWNew South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
] - Images: skulls (including B. parvus) on Museum Victoria website
- Images: Australian mammal images (including B. parvus) on Museum Victoria website
- Threatened Species Day fact sheet, Department of the Environment and Heritage, 2005 (Commonwealth of Australia)