Eastern Pygmy Possum (Cercartetus nana) lives in eastern Australian forests across Eastern Australia. It feeds on nectar & pollen. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Eastern Pygmy Possum
- Weighing less than a deck of cards, eastern pygmy possums tip the scales at just 15-43 grams. Their bodies measure 7-9 cm long, with an 8-11 cm prehensile tail that can wrap around branches like a living rope. Such tiny dimensions let them slip into narrow bark crevices and flower tubes that larger mammals cannot access.
- A single breeding season can produce two litters, sometimes a third when nectar and insects are abundant. Females carry four to six teats and typically birth four joeys after a 30-day gestation; the newborns cling in the pouch for 33-37 days, then wean at 60-65 days. Rapid growth, reaching adult size by five months.
- First recorded by French naturalist François Péron in February 1802, the juvenile male he captured on Tasmania's Maria Island now rests in Paris as the holotype. This early European encounter, documented in a manuscript now housed at the Le Havre Museum, provides a tangible link to the species' discovery history and underscores the value of museum collections for tracing marsupial taxonomy over two centuries.
- Despite being listed as Least Concern globally, eastern pygmy possums are deemed vulnerable in New South Wales and South Australia, while considered common in Queensland. Their patchy distribution and low local densities mean that increased predator influx, such as feral cats, foxes, or logging-induced snake activity.
- Males occupy home ranges up to 1.7 hectares (4.2 acres) while females have smaller ranges of 0.18-0.61 hectares (0.44-1.51 acres), and these zones often overlap.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeEastern Australia
HabitatEastern Australian forests
DietNectar & pollen
About the Eastern Pygmy Possum
In the twilight realm of Australia's eastern woodlands, the Eastern Pygmy Possum weaves its magic, a diminutive, large-eyed enchantress that dances through the underbrush with steps as light as a whisper. With a twitch of its whiskers and a flick of its prehensile tail, this tiny marsupial navigates the intricate network of branches and leaves, its nocturnal wanderings a testament to its remarkable adaptability. As it pauses to nibble on a sweet, succulent nectar, its big, round eyes shine like lanterns in the darkness, illuminating the secret world of this captivating, miniature creature.
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