Honey Possum
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| Tarsipes rostratus Gervais & Verreaux, 1842 |
The Honey Possum (Tarsipes rostratus) or Noolbenger is a tiny Australian marsupial weighing just five to 10 grams—about half the size of a mouse.
The Honey Possum has no close relatives. It is currently classified as the only member of the genus Tarsipes and of the family Tarsipedidae, but many authorities believe that it is sufficiently distinct to be more properly raised to a separate superfamily within the Diprotodontia, or perhaps even further.
It is one of the very few entirely nectarivorous mammals; it has a long, pointed snout and a long, protusible tongue with a brush tip like a honeyeater or a hummingbird. It is thought to be the sole survivor of an otherwise long-extinct marsupial group. Although restricted to a fairly small range in the southwest of Western Australia, it is locally common and does not seem to be threatened with extinction so long as its habitat remains intact and diverse. Floral diversity is particularly important for the Honey Possum as it cannot survive without a year-round supply of nectar, and unlike nectarivorous birds, it cannot easily travel long distances in search of fresh supplies.
The Honey Possum is mainly nocturnal but will come out to feed during daylight in cooler weather. Generally, though, it spends the days asleep in a shelter of convenience: a rock cranny, a tree cavity, the hollow inside of a grass tree, or an abandoned bird nest. When food is scarce or in cold weather, it becomes torpid to conserve energy.
[edit] References
- Australasian Marsupial & Monotreme Specialist Group (1996). Tarsipes rostratus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006.
- Groves, Colin (16 November 2005). Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 55-56. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.
