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Some facts about the
Mountain pygmy possum
Adult weight : 0.045 kg (0.099 lbs)
Maximum longevity : 12 years
Female maturity :320 days
Male maturity : 320 days
Gestation : 15 days
Weaning : 60 days
Litter size : 4
Interval between litters : 365 days
Weight at weaning : 0.022 kg (0.0484 lbs)
Body mass : 0.044 kg (0.0968 lbs)
Temperature : 35.85 °C (96.53 °F)
Mountain pygmy possum
Order : Diprotodontia
Family : Burramyidae
Species : Burramys parvus
Mountain Pygmy-possums can only be found in certain localities of Australia, namely: alpine/sub alpine parts above 1400 meters, in NSW and Victoria. The typical Mountain Pygmy-possum resides in crevices of rocks. They feed during the night. During trying times, they gather reserves by eating principally Bogong moths, but in more favorable times, they would eat plant seeds too.
There are very few marsupials which hibernate, and the Mountain Pygmy-possum is one of those. In hibernating, their metabolic rate is cut down by around 98%. They are known to hibernate for at least 3 weeks, in the coldest months.
The Mountain Pygmy-possum is not safe from extinction at present. Predators such as wild cats and foxes are of course, an ever-present danger to them. Then, there is the destruction of their habitat due to human factors/actions (like skiing, resort developing). Owing to the fact that these possums need a level (snow) of 1 meter (no less), any climate transformation has great impact on their survival.
Interesting fact: These possums were considered extinct until they were found at a ski chalet, sometime in the mid 1960s.
The Broom's pygmy-possum, burramys, mountain pygmy possum is listed as Endangered (EN), considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild, on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Countries
Australia
Facts about the mountain pygmy possum
The Mountain Pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus) is Australia’s only mammal restricted to the alpine and subalpine zone.
Burramys parvus is a small, rodentlike marsupial.
The Mountain Pygmy Possum (Burramys parvus) is a small, mouse-sized (weighs 45g) nocturnal marsupial of Australia found in dense alpine rock screes and boulder fields, mainly southern Victoria and Tasmania but also around Mount Kosciusko in New South Wales.
The Mountain Pygmy-possum is a [CITIES-listed Endangered Species]
Behavior The mountain pygmy possum is a calm, social animal, rarely engaging in competition for space or food. (Full text)
Physical Description Burramys parvus is a small, rodentlike marsupial. (Full text)
The Mountain Pygmy Possum (Burramys parvus) is a small, mouse-sized (weighs 45g) nocturnal marsupial of Australia found in dense alpine rock screes and boulder fields, mainly southern Victoria and Tasmania but also around Mount Kosciusko in New South Wales. (Full text)
Behavior: The Mountain Pygmy Possum is terrestrial and nocturnal and sleeps in the day. (Full text)
(Duration: 1'37") [listen (requires real audio)] Where to see them Mountain pygmy-possums are nocturnal and quite secretive so they're not easy to come across. (Full text)
(Duration: 33")[listen (requires real audio)] The Mountain Pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus) is the largest of Australia's five pygmy-possums and the only one that lives in the alpine zone. (Full text)
Mountain pygmy-possums are very small in size - they almost fit in the palm of your hand. (Full text)
(IUCN 2004) Countries Where the Mountain Pygmy Possum Is Currently Found: (Full text)
Weighing in at around 45g, mountain pygmy-possums are about the size of a small rat or large mouse. (Full text)
Only about 3,000 adult mountain pygmy possums are believed to remain and ecologist Ian Mansergh from Victoria's Department of Sustainability and Environment is hoping the possums have survived the fires by sheltering among rocks. (Full text)
The Mountain Pygmy-Possum is listed as endangered in New South Wales. (Full text)
Mountain Pygmy-possums are generally restricted to boulder fields and need this cool environment in the summer. (Full text)
Burramys parvus The rare mountain pygmy possum is the only permanent (Full text)
Arsenic levels also varied across the mountains being higher in moths from the Snowy Mountains than in moths from the ACT or Mt Buffalo (which had virtually zero) whereas elsewhere in Victoria, particularly where Mountain Pygmy-possums are found levels were once again higher. (Full text)
Only about 3,000 adult mountain pygmy possums are believed to remain and ecologist Ian Mansergh from Victoria's Department of Sustainability and Environment is hoping the possums have survived the fires by sheltering among rocks. (Full text)
The Mountain Pygmy Possum (Burramys parvus) is a small, mouse-sized (weighs 45g) nocturnal marsupial of Australia found in dense alpine rock screes and boulder fields, mainly southern Victoria and Tasmania but also around Mount Kosciusko in New South Wales. (Full text)
Mountain Pygmy-possums are also threatened in NSW by the likelihood of increased competition with and predation by other alpine and sub-alpine small mammals as snow cover duration and extent declines. (Full text)
The Mountain Pygmy-possum is the only Australian mammal limited in its distribution to alpine and sub-alpine regions and in NSW it occurs in Kosciuszko National Park at altitudes above 1600m. (Full text)
The Mountain Pygmy-possum, Burramys parvus, is a predominantly terrestrial marsupial that has a highly restricted distribution in south-east New South Wales and north-eastern Victoria. (Full text)