Petauroidea
Encyclopedia
Petauroidea is a superfamily
Taxonomic rank
In biological classification, rank is the level in a taxonomic hierarchy. Examples of taxonomic ranks are species, genus, family, and class. Each rank subsumes under it a number of less general categories...

 of marsupials from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 and 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 part of the suborder Phalangeriformes within the order Diprotodontia
Diprotodontia
Diprotodontia is a large order of about 120 marsupial mammals including the kangaroos, wallabies, possums, koala, wombats, and many others. Extinct diprotodonts include the rhinoceros-sized Diprotodon, and Thylacoleo, the so-called "marsupial lion"....

, which also includes, among others, wombat
Wombat
Wombats are Australian marsupials; they are short-legged, muscular quadrupeds, approximately in length with a short, stubby tail. They are adaptable in their habitat tolerances, and are found in forested, mountainous, and heathland areas of south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania, as well as...

s, kangaroo
Kangaroo
A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country...

s, cuscus
Cuscus
Cuscus is the common name generally given to the species within the four genera of Australasian possum:* Ailurops* Phalanger* Spilocuscus* Strigocuscus...

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

) and pygmy possums (family Burramyidae), is the immediate sister group of the Petauroidea.

The superfamily includes the following recent species:
  • Superfamily PETAUROIDEA
    • Family Pseudocheiridae
      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:...

      • Subfamily Hemibelideinae
        • Genus Hemibelideus
          • Lemur-like Ringtail Possum
            Lemur-like Ringtail Possum
            The Lemur-like Ringtail Possum , also known as the Lemuroid Ringtail Possum or the Brushy-Tailed Ringtail, is one of the most singular members of the ringtail possum group...

            , Hemibelideus lemuroides
        • Genus Petauroides
          • Greater Glider
            Greater Glider
            The Greater Glider is a small gliding marsupial found in Australia. It is not closely related to the Petaurus group of gliding marsupials but instead to the Lemur-like Ringtail Possum , with which it shares the subfamily Hemibelideinae.The Greater Glider is nocturnal and is a solitary herbivore...

            , Petauroides volans
      • Subfamily Pseudocheirinae
        • Genus Petropseudes
          • Rock-haunting Ringtail Possum
            Rock-haunting Ringtail Possum
            The Rock-haunting Ringtail Possum , also known as the Rock Ringtail Possum, is a species of Australian possum. It is found in rocky escarpments in the Kimberley, Arnhem Land and Gulf of Carpentaria across Western Australia and Northern Territory and just passing the Queensland border. It is also...

            , Petropseudes dahli
        • Genus Pseudocheirus
          Pseudocheirus
          Pseudocheirus is a genus of ringtail possums . It includes a single living species, the Common Ringtail Possum of Australia, as well as the fossil Pseudocheirus marshalli from the Pliocene of Victoria.Other species have previously been included in this genus...

          • Common Ringtail Possum
            Common Ringtail Possum
            The common ringtail possum is an Australian marsupial. It lives in a variety of habitats and eats a variety of leaves of both native and introduced plants, as well as flowers and fruits. These dietary factors have, over time, aided burgeoning introduced populations in New Zealand...

            , Pseudocheirus peregrinus
        • Genus Pseudochirulus
          Pseudochirulus
          Pseudochirulus is a genus of marsupial in the Pseudocheiridae family native to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Queensland, Australia.It contains the following species:*Lowland Ringtail Possum, Pseudochirulus canescens...

          • Lowland Ringtail Possum
            Lowland Ringtail Possum
            The Lowland Ringtail Possum is a species of marsupial in the Pseudocheiridae family. It is found in West Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea....

            , Pseudochirulus canescens
          • Weyland Ringtail Possum
            Weyland Ringtail Possum
            The Weyland Ringtail Possum is a species of marsupial in the Pseudocheiridae family. It is endemic to the western Central Cordillera of Papua Province, Indonesia....

            , Pseudochirulus caroli
          • Cinereus Ringtail Possum
            Cinereus Ringtail Possum
            The Cinereus Ringtail Possum , also known as the Daintree River Ringtail Possum, is a species of possum found in northeastern Queensland, Australia. It was long believed to be the same as the Herbert River Ringtail Possum , but has recently been separated...

            , Pseudochirulus cinereus
          • Painted Ringtail Possum
            Painted Ringtail Possum
            The Painted Ringtail Possum or Moss-forest Ringtail Possum is a species of marsupial in the Pseudocheiridae family. It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea....

            , Pseudochirulus forbesi
          • Herbert River Ringtail Possum
            Herbert River Ringtail Possum
            The Herbert River Ringtail Possum is a species of possum found in northeastern Queensland, Australia. It a dark brown to black species, sometimes with a white belly....

            , Pseudochirulus herbertensis
          • Masked Ringtail Possum
            Masked Ringtail Possum
            The Masked Ringtail Possum, Pseudochirulus larvatus, is a marsupial possum of the family Pseudocheiridae. It is found in northeastern New Guinea in the Star Mountains. the eastern Central Cordillera, the Huon Peninsula and the northern coast ranges. Masked Ringtails are arboreal residents of...

            , Pseudochirulus larvatus
          • Pygmy Ringtail Possum
            Pygmy Ringtail Possum
            The Pygmy Ringtail Possum is a species of marsupial in the Pseudocheiridae family. It is found in West Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.-External links:*...

            , Pseudochirulus mayeri
          • Vogelkop Ringtail Possum
            Vogelkop Ringtail Possum
            The Vogelkop Ringtail Possum is a species of marsupial in the Pseudocheiridae family. It is endemic to the Vogelkop Peninsula, West Papua, Indonesia. It is threatened by habitat loss....

            , Pseudochirulus schlegeli
      • Subfamily Pseudochiropinae
        • Genus Pseudochirops
          Pseudochirops
          Pseudochirops is a genus of marsupial in the Pseudocheiridae family.It contains the following species:*D'Albertis' Ringtail Possum, Pseudochirops albertisii*Green Ringtail Possum, Pseudochirops archeri...

          • D'Albertis' Ringtail Possum
            D'Albertis' Ringtail Possum
            D'Albertis' Ringtail Possum is a species of marsupial in the Pseudocheiridae family. It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests....

            , Pseudochirops albertisii
          • Green Ringtail Possum
            Green Ringtail Possum
            The Green Ringtail Possum is a species of ringtail possum found only in northern Australia. This makes it unique in its genus, all other members of which are found in New Guinea or nearby islands...

            , Pseudochirops archeri
          • Plush-coated Ringtail Possum
            Plush-coated Ringtail Possum
            The Plush-coated Ringtail Possum or Golden Ringtail Possum is a species of marsupial in the Pseudocheiridae family. It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests....

            , Pseudochirops corinnae
          • Reclusive Ringtail Possum
            Reclusive Ringtail Possum
            The Reclusive Ringtail Possum is a species of marsupial in the Pseudocheiridae family. It is endemic to the Arfak Mountains in the Vogelkop Peninsula of West Papua, Indonesia....

            , Pseudochirops coronatus
          • Coppery Ringtail Possum
            Coppery Ringtail Possum
            The Coppery Ringtail Possum is a species of marsupial in the Pseudocheiridae family. It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea....

            , Pseudochirops cupreus
    • Family Petauridae
      Petauridae
      The family Petauridae includes 11 medium-sized possum species: four striped possums, the six species wrist-winged gliders in genus Petaurus, and Leadbeater's Possum which has only vestigal gliding membranes...

      • Genus Dactylopsila
        Dactylopsila
        Dactylopsila is a genus of marsupial in the Petauridae family.It contains the following species:*Great-tailed Triok, Dactylopsila megalura*Long-fingered Triok, Dactylopsila palpator*Tate's Triok, Dactylopsila tatei...

        • Great-tailed Triok
          Great-tailed Triok
          The Great-tailed Triok is a species of marsupial in the Petauridae family. It is found in West Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests....

          , Dactylopsila megalura
        • Long-fingered Triok
          Long-fingered Triok
          The Long-fingered Triok is a species of marsupial in the Petauridae family. It is found in West Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea....

          , Dactylopsila palpator
        • Tate's Triok
          Tate's Triok
          Tate's Triok, also known as the Fergusson Island Striped Possum , is a species of marsupial in the Petauridae family. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests....

          , Dactylopsila tatei
        • Striped Possum
          Striped Possum
          The Striped Possum is a member of the Petauridae family, one of the marsupial families. The species is black with three white stripes running head to tail, and its head has white stripes that form a 'Y' shape...

          , Dactylopsila trivirgata
      • Genus Gymnobelideus
        • Leadbeater's Possum
          Leadbeater's Possum
          Leadbeater's Possum is an endangered possum restricted to small pockets of remaining old growth mountain ash forests in the central highlands of Victoria north-east of Melbourne...

          , Gymnobelideus leadbeateri
      • Genus Petaurus
        Petaurus
        The genus Petaurus contains flying phalangers or wrist-winged gliders, a group of arboreal marsupials. There are six species, Sugar Glider, Squirrel Glider, Mahogany Glider, Northern Glider, Yellow-bellied Glider and Biak Glider, and are native to Australia or New Guinea.Flying phalangers are...

        • Northern Glider
          Northern Glider
          The Northern Glider is a species of marsupial in the Petauridae family. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitat is dry savanna....

          , Petaurus abidi
        • Yellow-bellied Glider
          Yellow-bellied Glider
          The Yellow-bellied Glider is an arboreal and nocturnal gliding possum that lives in a narrow range of native eucalypt forests down eastern Australia, reaching from northern Queensland to Victoria.-Habitat:...

          , Petaurus australis
        • Biak Glider
          Biak Glider
          The Biak Glider is a species of marsupial in the Petauridae family. It is endemic to the Schouten Islands in West Papua of Indonesia....

          , Petaurus biacensis
        • Sugar Glider
          Sugar Glider
          The sugar glider is a small gliding possum originating from the marsupial family.The sugar glider is native to eastern and northern mainland Australia and is also native to New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago.- Habitat :Sugar gliders can be found all throughout the northern and eastern parts of...

          , Petaurus breviceps
        • Mahogany Glider
          Mahogany Glider
          The mahogany glider is an endangered gliding possum native to a small region of coastal Queensland.-Appearance:A nocturnal arboreal marsupial, the mahogany glider closely resembles the sugar glider, the squirrel glider and the yellow-bellied glider., but is noticeably larger than any of its...

          , Petaurus gracilis
        • Squirrel Glider
          Squirrel Glider
          The Squirrel Glider is a nocturnal gliding possum, one of the wrist-winged gliders of the genus Petaurus.-Habitat:...

          , Petaurus norfolcensis
    • Family Tarsipedidae
      • Genus Tarsipes
        • Honey Possum
          Honey Possum
          The honey possum or tait, its Native Australian name or noolbenger is a tiny Australian marsupial weighing just seven to eleven grams for the male, and eight to sixteen grams for the female—about half the weight of a mouse. Their physical size ranges from a body length of between 6.5 –...

           or Noolbenger, Tarsipes rostratus
    • Family Acrobatidae
      Acrobatidae
      Acrobatidae is a small family of gliding marsupials containing two genera, each with a single species, the Feathertail Glider from Australia and Feather-tailed Possum from New Guinea....

      • Genus Acrobates
        • Feathertail Glider
          Feathertail Glider
          The Feathertail Glider , also known as the Pygmy Gliding Possum, Pygmy Glider, Pygmy Phalanger, Flying Phalanger and Flying Mouse, is the world's smallest gliding possum and is named for its long feather-shaped tail. Although only the size of a very small mouse , it can leap and glide up to 25 metres...

          , Acrobates pygmaeus
      • Genus Distoechurus
        • Feather-tailed Possum
          Feather-tailed Possum
          The Feather-tailed Possum is a species of marsupial in the Acrobatidae family. It is found in West Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.It is the only species in the genus Distoechurus....

          , Distoechurus pennatus

Literature

  • Groves, C.P. 2005. Order Diprotodontia. Pp. 43-70 in Wilson, D.E. & Reeder, D.M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: a taxonomic and geographic reference
    Mammal Species of the World
    Mammal Species of the World, now in its 3rd edition, is a standard reference work in zoology giving descriptions and bibliographic data for the known species of mammals.An updated Third Edition of Mammal Species of the World was published late in 2005:...

    . 3rd ed. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols., 2142 pp. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0
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