Phalanger
Encyclopedia
Phalanger, from the Greek Phalangion, meaning spider's web, from their webbed toes is a genus
of possum
. They are marsupial
s of the family Phalangeridae
. It is one of the four genera whose species are commonly referred to as cuscus
es.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of possum
Possum
A possum is any of about 70 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupial species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi .Possums are quadrupedal diprotodont marsupials with long tails...
. They are 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...
s of the 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...
. It is one of the four genera whose species are commonly referred to as cuscus
Cuscus
Cuscus is the common name generally given to the species within the four genera of Australasian possum:* Ailurops* Phalanger* Spilocuscus* Strigocuscus...
es.
- Genus Phalanger
- Gebe CuscusGebe CuscusThe Gebe Cuscus is a species of marsupial in the family Phalangeridae. It is endemic to the island of Gebe Umera, North Maluku province, Indonesia, where it lives at elevations from sea level to 300 m....
, Phalanger alexandrae - Mountain CuscusMountain CuscusThe Mountain Cuscus is a species of marsupial in the Phalangeridae family. It is found in West Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea....
, Phalanger carmelitae - Ground CuscusGround CuscusThe Ground Cuscus is a marsupial from the order Diprotodontia and belongs within the family Phalangeridae, a diverse family consisting of the other cuscus species and the brushtail possums and the Scaly-tailed Possum .Body weight of the Ground Cuscus averages 2.5 – 3kg...
, Phalanger gymnotis - Eastern Common CuscusEastern Common CuscusThe Eastern Common Cuscus is a species of marsupial in the Phalangeridae family. It is found in eastern Papua New Guinea. Until recently, it was considered conspecific with P. mimicus, and before that also with P. orientalis....
, Phalanger intercastellanus - Woodlark CuscusWoodlark CuscusThe Woodlark Cuscus is a species of marsupial in the Phalangeridae family. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea, specifically on Madau and Woodlark Island....
, Phalanger lullulae - Blue-eyed CuscusBlue-eyed CuscusThe Blue-eyed Cuscus is a species of marsupial in the family Phalangeridae. It is endemic to the two small islands of Ternate and Tidore, west of the island of Halmahera in North Maluku province, Indonesia....
, Phalanger matabiru - Telefomin CuscusTelefomin CuscusThe Telefomin Cuscus is a possum found on New Guinea.It is named after the Telefol ethnic group, who knew the animal long before it was discovered scientifically by the Australian zoologist Tim Flannery. It lives in the oak forests along the Nong River in the middle of Papua New Guinea, at...
, Phalanger matanim - Southern Common CuscusSouthern Common CuscusThe Southern Common Cuscus is also known as Australian Cuscus, Grey Cuscus, Grey Phalanger, and To-ili. An arboreal marsupial, it is endemic to Australia , southern New Guinea and possibly the Aru Islands. Until recently, it was considered conspecific with P. intercastellanus, and before that also...
, Phalanger mimicus - Northern Common CuscusNorthern Common CuscusThe Northern Common Cuscus , also known as the Grey Cuscus, is a species of marsupial in the Phalangeridae family. It is native to northern New Guinea and adjacent smaller islands, but is now also found in the Bismarck Archipelago, south-east and central Moluccas, the Solomons and Timor, where it...
, Phalanger orientalis - Ornate CuscusOrnate CuscusThe Ornate Cuscus or Molluccan Cuscus is a species of marsupial in the family Phalangeridae. It is endemic to Indonesia, where it is found on the North Maluku islands of Halmahera, Bacan and Morotai, at elevations from sea level to 1000 m....
, Phalanger ornatus - Rothschild's CuscusRothschild's CuscusRothschild's Cuscus , also called the Obi Island Cuscus, is a species of marsupial in the family Phalangeridae. It is endemic to the islands of Obi, Bisa and Obilatu in the Obi Islands of Maluku province, Indonesia....
, Phalanger rothsschildi - Silky CuscusSilky CuscusThe Silky Cuscus is a species of marsupial in the Phalangeridae family. It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea....
, Phalanger sericeus - Stein's CuscusStein's CuscusStein's Cuscus is a species of marsupial in the Phalangeridae family. It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea....
, Phalanger vestitus
- Gebe Cuscus