Slender ringtail possum or Small ringtail possum (''Pseudochirulus''), also known as the ringtail possum, is a genus of
marsupial
Marsupials are any members of the mammalian infraclass Marsupialia. All extant marsupials are endemic to Australasia, Wallacea and the Americas. A distinctive characteristic common to most of these species is that the young are carried in a ...
in the family
Pseudocheiridae
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.
Characteristics
Physically, they app ...
native to
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
,
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
and
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
,
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
''Pseudocheirus'' is a genus of ringtail possums (family Pseudocheiridae). It includes a single living species, the common ringtail possum (''Pseudocheirus peregrinus'') of Australia, as well as the fossil ''Pseudocheirus marshalli'' from the Pl ...
'' and ''
Pseudochirops''.
Species
It contains the following species:
*
Lowland ringtail possum
The lowland ringtail possum (''Pseudochirulus canescens'') is a species of marsupial in the family Pseudocheiridae. It is found in Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua N ...
, ''Pseudochirulus canescens''
*
Weyland ringtail possum
The Weyland ringtail possum (''Pseudochirulus caroli'') 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 localitie ...
, ''Pseudochirulus caroli''
*
Cinereus ringtail possum
The Daintree River ringtail possum (''Pseudochirulus cinereus''), 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 ...
, ''Pseudochirulus cinereus''
*
Painted ringtail possum
The painted ringtail possum or moss-forest ringtail possum (''Pseudochirulus forbesi'') is a species of marsupial in the family Pseudocheiridae. It is found in Papua New Guinea.
Names
It is known as skoyd or boƱay in the Kalam language of Papua ...
, ''Pseudochirulus forbesi''
*
Herbert River ringtail possum
The Herbert River ringtail possum (''Pseudochirulus herbertensis'') 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 lon ...
, ''Pseudochirulus herbertensis''
*
Masked ringtail possum
The masked ringtail possum (''Pseudochirulus larvatus'') is a marsupial possum of the family Pseudocheiridae. It is found in northeastern New Guinea in the Star Mountains
The Star Mountains (Dutch (colonial)'': Sterrengebergte''; Indonesian ...
, ''Pseudochirulus larvatus''
*
Pygmy ringtail possum
The pygmy ringtail possum (''Pseudochirulus mayeri'') 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.Hatfield, Lucy. "Pseudochirulus mayeri (pygmy ...
, ''Pseudochirulus mayeri''
*
Vogelkop ringtail possum, ''Pseudochirulus schlegeli''
References
Possums
Marsupial genera
Taxa named by Paul Matschie
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
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