Distoechurus pennatus

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc). Abundant.

Sumber: Order Diprotodontia

Habitat. Lowland swamp and peat forests, hill forest, and lower montane forest upward to its transition with upper montane forest, from near sea level to elevations above 2000 m (highest elevation record from ¢. 2600 m on Hides Ridge, Hela Province). There are no records of Feather-tailed Possums from seasonally dry savanna habitats of south-eastern New Guinea. They can be common in areas of secondary growth including old gardens, which has led to suggestions that they are confined to secondary vegetation. Recent collections have been made in undisturbed climax forests across their entire elevational distribution.

Sumber: Acrobatidae

Movement, Home range and Social organization. Nothing is recorded of movements or social organization of Feather-tailed Possums, beyond that they are sometimes taken in small groups from communally occupied tree hollows. No feeding congregations have been recorded. Hide reported capture circumstances for 22 Feather-tailed Possums on the Karimui Plateau in June-August 1981. Seven of these were solitary, and the remainder was captured in groups of 2 - 3 individuals. Four captures were made from tree hollows and nine from leaf nests in the foliage of trees, bananas, and Pandanus (Pandanaceae) palms. Of the 21 Feather-tailed Possums collected by Aplin in the same general vicinity in April 1984, eleven were reported to come from tree hollows, including one group of three females (two with pouch young, one nulliparous) and an adult female with a subadult male. Two individuals were taken from nests in dense crowns of Pandanus palms. A group of two adult females with pouch young and a subadult female were presented to Dwyer at Mount Sisa, Southern Highlands Province, in July 1979. Adult Feather-tailed Possums make no obvious vocalizations when observed casually at night or when handled. Social communications must be primarily visual or olfactory. Males and females have a strong musky odor, which was likened to the smell of “ stale beer ” by Flannery.

Sumber: Acrobatidae

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Until the taxonomy of Distoechurus is resolved, nothing concrete can be said regarding the conservation needs of potential new individual species. Overall, the genus appears to be secure across large parts of its distribution. At least some regional populations are tolerant and may even benefit from low-level disturbance of the kind created by traditional shifting agriculture.

Sumber: Acrobatidae

Descriptive notes. Head-body 9 - 10.5 cm (maximum 10 - 8 cm), tail 11.5 - 14.5 cm (maximum 15 - 3 cm); weight 30 - 45 g. Tail length-to-head-body length ratio is usually 1 - 2 - 1 - 5. There is no evidence for sex-biased dimorphism in body measurements of the Feather-tailed Possum. Dorsal fur varies from drab gray to gingery gray. Fur on outer surfaces of limbs and crown of head is same color as on back. Undersurface is cream to gingery buff. Ears and digits are sparsely furred. Tail is furred ventrally to within 1 - 2 mm oftip. Tail hair fringe lacks any pale emargination (notched at the margin).

Sumber: Acrobatidae

Distribution. New Guinea, widespread throughout lowlands and montane areas.

Sumber: Acrobatidae