View source for Eastern pygmy possum

{{Short description|Species of marsupial}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Eastern pygmy possum<ref name=MSW3>{{MSW3 Groves|pages=45}}</ref>
| fossil_range = [[Late Pleistocene]] – Recent
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 11 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Dickman, C. |author2=Lunney, D. |author3=Menkhorst, P. |date=2016 |title=''Cercartetus nanus'' |volume=2016 |page=e.T40578A21963504 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T40578A21963504.en}}</ref>
| image = Cercartetus nanus.jpg
| taxon = Cercartetus nanus
| authority = ([[Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest|Desmarest]], 1818)
| range_map = Eastern Pygmy Possum area.png
| range_map_caption = Eastern pygmy possum range
}}

The '''eastern pygmy possum''' ('''''Cercartetus nanus''''') is a [[diprotodont]] [[marsupial]] of south-eastern Australia. Occurring from southern [[Queensland]] to eastern [[South Australia]] and also [[Tasmania]],<ref name=MSW3/> it is found in a range of [[habitat]]s, including [[rainforest]], [[sclerophyll forest]], [[woodland]] and [[Heath (habitat)|heath]].

==Taxonomy and nomenclature==
The eastern pygmy possum is the type species of the genus ''[[Cercartetus]]'' (family [[Burramyidae]]), and was first described as ''Phalangista nana'' with the specific name meaning 'dwarf' in [[Latin]]. Currently, the authority for the specific name is widely accepted as [[Anselme Gaetan Desmarest|Desmarest]] 1818, but in a review recently published, it was pointed out that an earlier version of Desmarest's account was published in 1817.<ref name=hist/>

Names synonymous with ''Cercartetus nanus'' are ''Phalangista glirifomis'' (Bell, 1828) and ''Dromicia britta'' (Wood Jones, 1925).<ref name=MSW3/> These coincide with the two subspecies ''C. n. nanus'' (Desmarest, 1818) (the Tasmanian subspecies) and ''C. n. unicolor'' (Krefft, 1863) (the mainland Australian subspecies).<ref name=MSW3/>

Vernacular names that have been used for this species include dwarf phalanger, minute phalanger, dwarf cuscus, pigmy phalanger, Bell's ''Dromicia'', opossum mouse, dusky ''Dromicia'', pygmy opossum, thick-tailed ''Dromicia'', mouse-like phalanger, common dormouse-phalanger, dormouse phalanger, common dormouse-opossum, dormouse possum, pigmy opossum, pigmy possum and eastern pigmy possum.<ref name=hist/> A standard name finally arose via a committee of the [[Australian Mammal Society]].<ref>{{Cite book| author = Strahan, R. | year = 1981 | title = A number of Australian mammal names: Pronunciation, derivation, and significance of the names, with bibliographical notes | publisher = Angus and Robertson | location = Sydney}}</ref>

==Description==
[[File:Eastern Pygmy Possum Pilliga Forest NSW.jpg|thumb|left|Eastern pygmy possum in [[Pilliga forest]], NSW.]]
Eastern pygmy possums are very small, weighing from {{convert|15|to|43|g}} and having a body length of between {{convert|7|and|9|cm}} with a {{convert|8|to|11|cm}} tail. They are dull grey above and white below, with big, forward pointing, almost hairless, ears and a long [[prehensile tail]], with thick fur at the base that becomes sparser towards the tip. They have long whiskers, and a narrow ring of dark fur around each eye.<ref name=Harris2008>{{cite journal | author = Harris, J.M. | year = 2008 | title = ''Cercartetus nanus'' (Diprotodontia: Burramyidae) | journal = Mammalian Species | volume = 815 |  pages = Number 185: pp. 1–10 | doi = 10.1644/815.1| doi-access = free }}</ref>

The eastern pygmy possum is an active climber. It uses its brush tipped tongue to feed on [[nectar]] and [[pollen]], especially from ''[[Banksia]]'', ''[[Eucalyptus]]'' and ''[[Callistemon]]'' species.<ref name=ADW>http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Cercartetus_nanus.html | University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web</ref> It also feeds on insects, and will eat soft fruits when flowers are not available. It is a largely [[solitary animal]], sheltering in tree hollows and stumps, abandoned bird nests, and thickets. During winter it spends time in [[torpor]].<ref name=ADW/>

They are [[nocturnal]], and, although generally thought to be solitary, have been reported to share communal nests, and to be seen in groups of two or more adult individuals. Males occupy home ranges of {{convert|0.24|to|1.7|ha}}, which overlap with each other and with the smaller, {{convert|0.18|to|0.61|ha}} ranges of females.<ref name=Harris2008/>

==Distribution and habitat==
Eastern pygmy possums are found along the southeastern Australian coast, from eastern [[South Australia]] to southern [[Queensland]], and on [[Tasmania]]. They inhabit shrubby vegetation in a wide variety of habitats, from open [[heathland]] or [[shrubland]] to [[sclerophyll]] or [[rainforest]], at elevations from sea level to {{convert|1800|m}}. Despite this apparent diversity of habitats, their distribution is patchy, and they are usually low in number where they are found.<ref name=Harris2008/>

==Reproduction==
Eastern pygmy possums typically breed twice a year, although they may breed a third time if food is plentiful. Females have a well-developed pouch with four to six teats, and usually give birth to four young, although larger litters are not uncommon. [[Gestation]] lasts around 30 days, after which the young spend 33 to 37 days sheltering in the pouch. They are [[weaning|weaned]] at 60 to 65 days, and remain with the mother for at least a further ten days, by which time they weigh about {{convert|10|g}}.<ref name=Harris2008/>

The young reach the full adult size at around five months, but may be able to breed as little as three months after birth. They live for up to 7.5 years in captivity, but probably no more than five years in the wild.<ref name=Harris2008/>

==Discovery==
The first specimen of an eastern pygmy possum known to Europeans was collected by [[François Péron]], a [[naturalist]] aboard [[Nicolas Baudin]]'s voyage to the south seas.<ref name=hist>{{Cite journal| author = Harris, J.M. | year = 2006 | title = The discovery and early natural history of the eastern pygmy possum, ''Cercartetus nanus'' (Geoffroy and Desmarest, 1817) | journal = Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales | volume = 127 | pages = 107–124}}</ref> Whilst on a short stay on [[Maria Island]], off eastern Tasmania between 19 and 27 February 1802, Péron traded with the [[Australian Aborigines|Aboriginal]] inhabitants for a single small marsupial. Péron wrote (in translation) 'In the class of mammiferous animals, I only saw one kind of ''[[Dasyurus]]'', which was scarcely as large as a mouse. I obtained one that was alive, in exchange for a few trifles, from a savage who was just going to kill and eat it'.<ref>{{Cite book| author = Péron, M.F. | title = A voyage of discovery to the southern hemisphere, performed by order of the Emperor Napoleon during the years 1801, 1802, 1803 and 1804  | year = 1975 | publisher = Marsh Walsh Publishing | location = Melbourne | page = 233}}</ref> In an unpublished manuscript (now held in the Le Havre Museum in France) Péron also wrote that the animal 'was given to me by the natives; it was still alive; I believe it to be a new species and have described it as ''Didelphis muroides'' because of its resemblance to the ''D. mus'' of Linnaeus'.<ref>Observations zoologiques by François Péron, on Maria Island, unpublished manuscript # 18043:31.</ref> The specimen collected by Péron (a juvenile male) was transported back to France, and is now held in the [[Muséum National d’Historie Naturelle]] in Paris as the [[holotype]].<ref>{{Cite book| author = Julien-Laferriere, D | year = 1994 | title = Catalogue des types de mammiferes du Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle. Order des Marsupiaux. Extrait de Mammalia. Tome 58}}</ref>

==Fossil record==
[[Bone]]s of this species are often recorded as [[fossil]]s or sub-fossils from [[late Pleistocene]] and [[Holocene]] cave deposits in south-eastern Australia. It is incorporated into the fossil record because owls and/or quolls that have preyed on eastern pygmy possums (and other small mammals) deposit regurgitated or faecal pellets in [[caves]] which then act as excellent preservation sites. About 50 such sites form the fossil record for the eastern pygmy possum.<ref name=distr>{{Cite journal | author1 = Harris, J. M. | author2 = Goldingay, R.L. | year = 2005 | title = The distribution of fossil and sub-fossil records of the eastern pygmy-possum ''Cercartetus nanus'' in Victoria | journal = The Victorian Naturalist | volume = 122 | pages = 160–170 | url = http://www.australianmammals.org.au/publications/pubs_ausMamCat/am_29_2/233-236%20Harris%20Cercartetus%20fossils%20080321.pdf | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090914155225/http://australianmammals.org.au/publications/pubs_ausMamCat/am_29_2/233-236%20Harris%20Cercartetus%20fossils%20080321.pdf | archive-date = 14 September 2009 }}</ref><ref name=palaeo>{{Cite journal|author1=Harris, J. M. |author2=Garvey, J.M. | year = 2006 | title = Palaeodistribution of pygmy-possums in Tasmania | journal = Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania | volume = 140 | pages = 1–10 | doi = 10.26749/rstpp.140.1 | url = https://eprints.utas.edu.au/13355/ | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref name=fossil>{{Cite journal| author = Harris, J.M. | year = 2006 | title = Fossil occurrences of ''Cercartetus nanus'' (Marsupialia: Burrmayidae) in South Australia | journal = Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia | volume = 130 | issue = 2 | pages = 239–244| doi = 10.1080/3721426.2006.10887063 | bibcode = 2006TRSAu.130..239H | s2cid = 87706401 | url = https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/92191 }}</ref>

==Conservation status==
Eastern pygmy possums are listed as [[least concern]] by the [[IUCN]],<ref name="iucn status 11 November 2021" /> and both subspecies are listed as lower risk by Australian Commonwealth Government legislation. At the State level within Australia, its status is defined variously. In New South Wales, it is considered vulnerable under the ''Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995''. In South Australia, the species is considered vulnerable under Schedule 8 of that State's ''[[National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972]]''. In Victoria, it is not listed under the ''Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988'', and is therefore officially not threatened. Records for Queensland are scant, but the species is perhaps misleadingly classed as common under that State's ''Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation 1994''. In Tasmania, the eastern pygmy possum is currently considered not threatened under the ''Nature Conservation Act 2002''.

==Predators and parasites==
Known predation records are by the [[barn owl]] ''Tyto alba'', the [[masked owl]] ''T. novaehollandiae'', the [[sooty owl]] ''T. tenebricosa'', the [[barking owl]] ''Ninox connivens'', the [[brown antechinus]] ''Antechinus stuartii'', the [[tiger quoll]] ''Dasyurus maculatus'', the [[Tasmanian devil]] ''Sarcophilus harrisii'', the [[dingo]] ''Canis lupus dingo'', the [[dog]] ''Canis lupus familiaris'', the [[red fox]] ''Vulpes vulpes'', the [[cat]] ''Felis catus'', [[Hoplocephalus stephensii|Stephen's banded snake]] ''Hoplocephalus stephensii'', and the [[rough-scaled snake]] ''Tropidechis carinatus''.<ref name=distr/><ref name=palaeo/><ref>{{Cite journal| author = Bladon, R. V.| author2 = Dickman, C.R.| author3 = Hume, I.D.| name-list-style = amp | year = 2002 | title = Effects of habitat fragmentation on the demography, movements and social organisation of the eastern pygmy possum (''Cercartetus nanus'') in northern New South Wales | journal = Wildlife Research | volume = 29 | pages = 105–116 | doi = 10.1071/WR01024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal| author = Fitzgerald, M.| author2 = Shine, R.| author3 = Lemckert, F.| name-list-style = amp | year = 2004 | title = Life history attributes of the threatened Australian snake (Stephen's banded snake ''Hoplocephalus stephensii'', Elapidae) | journal = Biological Conservation | volume = 119 | issue = 1| pages = 121–128 | doi = 10.1016/j.biocon.2003.10.026| bibcode = 2004BCons.119..121F}}</ref> In a study of the impacts of logging on the species, conducted in McPherson State Forest, not far from [[Gosford]], high rates of predation were found with six of 61 radio-tracked pygmy-possums taken by reptiles (tiger snakes, diamond pythons, and goannas) and two by raptors such as sooty owls with other predators such as native Antechinus and feral cats and foxes noted.<ref name=law>{{cite journal|last=Law|first=Bradley |author2=Chidel, M. |author3=Britton, A.|title=High predation risk for a small mammal: the eastern pygmy-possum (Cercartetus nanus)|journal=Australian Mammalogy|date=1 March 2013|volume=35|series=2|issue=2 |pages=149–152|doi=10.1071/AM12034|url=http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/AM12034.htm|access-date=19 February 2014}}</ref> A sooty owl pellet investigation found that pygmy possums comprised 15% of the 126 dietary items identified.<ref name=law/> The study's authors suggested that the species is vulnerable to altered predation regimes, such as influxes of feral predators, and highlights the need for a better understanding of any influence of logging on predator activity.<ref name=law/>

Parasites recorded for the eastern pygmy possum are the [[flea]]s ''Acanthopsylla rothschildi'', ''A. scintilla'', ''Choristopsylla thomasi'', and ''Ch. ochi''; the [[mite]]s ''Guntheria newmani'', ''G. shieldsi'', ''Ornithonyssus bacoti'' (normally a parasite of captive rats), and ''Stomatodex cercarteti'' (type described from ''C. nanus''); two [[nematode]]s ''Tetrabothriostrongylus mackerrasae'' and ''Paraustrostrongylus gymnobelideus''; and the common marsupial [[tick]] ''Ixodes tasmani''. There is also a record of a free-living [[platyhelminth]] ''Geoplana'' sp., although this was possibly an accidental infection.<ref>{{Cite journal|author1=Harris, J. M. |author2=Vilcins, I. | year = 2007 | title = Some parasites of the eastern pygmy possum, ''Cercartetus nanus'' (Marsupialia: Burramyidae) | journal = Australian Mammalogy | volume = 29 | pages = 107–110 | doi=10.1071/am07015}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Cercartetus nanus}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070623165047/http://museumvictoria.com.au/bioinformatics/mammals/images/thumbmar.htm Images: skulls (including ''C. nanus'') on Museum Victoria website]

{{Diprotodontia|P.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1764140}}

[[Category:Possums]]
[[Category:Marsupials of Australia]]
[[Category:Endemic fauna of Australia]]
[[Category:Mammals of Tasmania]]
[[Category:Mammals of South Australia]]
[[Category:Mammals of New South Wales]]
[[Category:Mammals of Victoria (state)]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 1818]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest]]