Mountain cuscus

Mountain cuscus1
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)2
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Infraclass:	Marsupialia
Order:	Diprotodontia
Family:	Phalangeridae
Genus:	Phalanger
Species:	P. carmelitae
Binomial name
Phalanger carmelitae Thomas, 1898
Mountain cuscus range

The mountain cuscus (Phalanger carmelitae) is a marsupial in the family Phalangeridae found throughout the central mountain ranges and Huon Peninsula of New Guinea, in both West Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.² It lives in undisturbed montane forests at elevations between 1,350 and 3,800 m (4,430 and 12,470 ft).² The species is nocturnal and arboreal, feeding mainly on leaves and fruit.³ It was first described by Oldfield Thomas in 1898 and includes two recognized subspecies.³ The mountain cuscus is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.²

The mountain cuscus belongs to the family Phalangeridae and the genus Phalanger. It was first described by Oldfield Thomas in 1898 in a paper titled "Descriptions of two new cuscuses (Phalanger) obtained by Dr. Loria in British New Guinea," published in the Annali del Museo civico di storia naturale di Genova.³ The type locality is the mountainous part of the Vanapa River in what is now Central Province, Papua New Guinea.³ The type specimen is held at the Natural History Museum in London.³

Two subspecies are recognized: the nominate P. c. carmelitae Thomas, 1898, found throughout the Central Range, and P. c. coccygis Thomas, 1922, found on the Huon Peninsula.² The species was previously treated as a subspecies of P. vestitus by Tate (1945) before being recognized as its own species.³

The mountain cuscus has a head-body length of 37–43 cm, a tail length of 31–36.5 cm, and weighs 1.7–2.6 kg. Its thick, woolly fur is dark, ranging from chocolate-brown to blackish and occasionally dark grayish-brown, on the back, with a white belly. The tail is black with a white distal tip and is coarsely tuberculated. The skull is medium-sized, with a condylobasal length of 70–88 mm, a relatively short rostrum, a large posterior upper premolar and molars, the second upper premolar always present, and three unicuspids on each side of the lower jaw.³

The mountain cuscus is most easily confused with the silky cuscus (P. sericeus), which differs in having a smooth tail without tuberculation, a shorter or absent white tail tip, the second upper premolar absent, and usually only one or two unicuspids on each side of the lower jaw.³

The mountain cuscus is nocturnal and arboreal, resting during the day in tree hollows and in tangles of epiphytes and Pandanus fronds.⁴ At night it spends approximately 40% of its time feeding, around 25% resting, and the remainder traveling. Males have been recorded using 11–13 dens per year, spaced an average of 115 m apart, while females use 12–19 dens per year spaced an average of 124 m apart.³

Male mountain cuscuses move at an average speed of 59 m/h across a home range of approximately 4 ha, while females travel at an average of 37 m/h across home ranges of 2–8 ha. Adjacent home ranges overlap only slightly, with male home ranges overlapping by an average of 0–22% and female home ranges by only 0–5%.³ The population trend is considered stable.²

Female mountain cuscuses give birth to a single young. Births have been recorded in February, April, August, and September, suggesting year-round breeding.³

The mountain cuscus lives in montane forests throughout the central mountain ranges and Huon Peninsula of New Guinea, at elevations between 1,350 and 3,800 m (4,430 and 12,470 ft).² It prefers undisturbed primary forest and is rarely found in areas that have been cleared or degraded.³ It shares its habitat with several other cuscus species, including the silky cuscus, Stein's cuscus, the ground cuscus, and the Telefomin cuscus, especially in the Star Mountains region.⁴ The species is found within at least one National Park, several Wildlife Management Areas, and the YUS Conservation Area on the Huon Peninsula.²

The mountain cuscus is primarily a leaf-eater, with leaves making up around 80% of its diet. Fruit makes up approximately 18–20%, with small amounts of flowers and bark also consumed.³ Plants recorded in the diet include Freycinetia, Garcinia, Helicia, Ilex, Litsea, Pandanus, Podocarpus, Sphenostemon, and Syzygium.³ A captive individual was also observed eating leaves of Acalypha, softer parts of Casuarina stems, Pandanus fruits, and epiphytic orchids. The same individual reportedly killed and ate a pet lorikeet that was placed in the same enclosure.³

The mountain cuscus is hunted by local people for food throughout much of its range.³ Significant habitat loss is also taking place in parts of its range, mostly through deforestation for subsistence agriculture.² Despite these pressures, the species is considered abundant in suitable habitat where it is not hunted.²

The mountain cuscus is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, due to its wide distribution, presumed large population, and occurrence in protected areas.² It has been assessed as Least Concern since at least 1996.² The development of hunting regulations has been recommended in parts of its range where it is not already protected.²