The pygmy ringtail possum (''Pseudochirulus mayeri'') is a species 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 ...

. It is found in the

montane forest Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucia ...

regions of

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 West Papua,

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 ...

.Hatfield, Lucy. "Pseudochirulus mayeri (pygmy ringtail)." ''Animal Diversity Web.'' Regents of the University of Michigan, 19 March 2011. Web. 14 October 2014
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Pseudochirulus_mayeri/
/ref> They are "widespread along the Central Cordillera" and live at elevations between above sea level.” Pygmy ringtails are herbivores or “ arboreal folivores” that eat

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametop ...

, lichen,

fungus A fungus (plural, : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of Eukaryote, eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and Mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified ...

and “epiphytic moss." ''P. mayeri'' also eat the bark of trees, which provides them with

calcium Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar t ...

and

potassium Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K (from Neo-Latin '' kalium'') and atomic number19. Potassium is a silvery-white metal that is soft enough to be cut with a knife with little force. Potassium metal reacts rapidly with atmosp ...

. They have “large incisor” teeth which help with “clipping forage from plants” and have “ selenodont molars” that help with “shredding ingested foliage." They have “an enlarged

cecum The cecum or caecum is a pouch within the peritoneum that is considered to be the beginning of the large intestine. It is typically located on the right side of the body (the same side of the body as the appendix, to which it is joined). The w ...

that acts as a fermentation chamber” and allows “gut bacteria to breakdown icplant tissue." The extra retention time allows the pygmy ringtail to obtain more nutrients from the ingested forage.

Characteristics

''Pseudochirulus mayeri'' is a very small species, with the males being slightly smaller than the females. The average female weight is 154.5 grams, ranging from 105 to 206 grams, while the average length is 372 mm with a range of 330–400 mm. The male weighs approximately 149 grams ranging between 115 and 178 grams and an average length of 344 mm with a range of 318–369 mm. Their life expectancy in the wild is approximately 4 or 5 years. These specific pygmy ringtails have “cinnamon brown to dark brown” fur with a visible “bluish-gray undercoat” when they move. Their tail has thick brown hair on top while calloused and hairless underneath. The ''Pseudochirulus mayeri'' also have “an opposable first toe on their hind feet, and their second and third toes are syndactylus.” These possums make dreys, or nests, “in the forks of trees, less than four meters off the ground.” These nests consist of foliage similar to moss and lichen and they enter into “state of partial

torpor Torpor is a state of decreased physiological activity in an animal, usually marked by a reduced body temperature and metabolic rate. Torpor enables animals to survive periods of reduced food availability. The term "torpor" can refer to the tim ...

” during the day. Therefore, they “are

nocturnal Nocturnality is an ethology, animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnality, diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have ...

, solitary, arboreal herbivores” that do not travel far at night from their drey because they are small and slow moving. ''P. mayeri'' can use sound to communicate. For example, young ''P. mayeri'' “use a twitter-like call when in search ortheir mother and make a screeching noise as an alarm call.” However, they mainly communicate with one another through their

olfactory The sense of smell, or olfaction, is the special sense through which smells (or odors) are perceived. The sense of smell has many functions, including detecting desirable foods, hazards, and pheromones, and plays a role in taste. In humans, i ...

. For example, males produce a

pheromone A pheromone () is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting like hormones outside the body of the secreting individual, to affect the behavio ...

in the sternal gland that " eter other males" while both females and males "establish home ranges" or "display reproductive status

sing Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music ( arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or ...

feces and pheromones."

Predators

The main predators of ''P. mayeri'' are owls, specifically the greater sooty owl, Papuan hawk-owl, eastern grass-owl and rufous owl. They also tend to be hunted by indigenous people who live near their habitat. However, they are not sufficiently hunted to be considered threatened.

References

External links

Image at ADW
{{Taxonbar, from=Q209575 Possums Mammals of Papua New Guinea Mammals of Western New Guinea Mammals described in 1932 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Marsupials of New Guinea