The Black-spotted Cuscus (Spilocuscus rufoniger) is a species of marsupial

Marsupial

Marsupials are an infraclass of mammals, characterized by giving birth to relatively undeveloped young. Close to 70% of the 334 extant species occur in Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands, with the remaining 100 found in the Americas, primarily in South America, but with thirteen in Central...

 in the Phalangeridae

Phalangeridae

Phalangeridae is a family of nocturnal marsupials native to Australia and New Guinea, including the cuscuses, brushtail possums, and their close relatives...

 family. It is among the largest members of the family, only being surpassed by the bear cuscus

Bear cuscus

The bear cuscuses are the members of the genus Ailurops. They are marsupials of the family Phalangeridae.The bear cuscuses are arboreal marsupials that live in the upper canopy of tropical rainforests. Almost nothing is known of their status and ecology. Although some scientists assign all...

. It is a relatively colourful species with whitish or yellowish underparts, rich rufous crown and limbs, and a black saddle or mottling on the back. It is found in forest at altitudes of up to 1200 m.a.s.l. in northern New Guinea

New Guinea

New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...

. It is threatened by hunting and habitat loss, and has already disappeared from large parts of its range. Consequently it is rated as Critically Endangered

Critically Endangered

Critically Endangered is the highest risk category assigned by the IUCN Red List for wild species. Critically Endangered means that a species' numbers have decreased, or will decrease, by 80% within three generations....

 by IUCN.