The pygmy ringtail possum (''Pseudochirulus mayeri'') is a species of marsupial 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 ...
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 gametophyt ...
,
lichen
A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.fungus and “epiphytic moss." ''P. mayeri'' also eat the bark of trees, which provides them with calcium and potassium. 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 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” during the day. Therefore, they “are
nocturnal
Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite.
Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...
, 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, it ...
. For example, males produce a pheromone in the sternal gland that " eter other males" while both females and males "establish home ranges" or "display reproductive status singfeces and pheromones."
eastern grass-owl
The eastern grass owl (''Tyto longimembris''), also known as Chinese grass owl or Australian grass owl, is a species of owl in the family Tytonidae. They feed predominantly on small rodents.
Though some authorities consider this owl to be consp ...
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.