History of changes

Introduction

The Burramyidae includes several small, mouse-sized possums with bunodont molars. The four species of Cercartetus, all of which are arboreal insectivores or nectar-feeders, are the least specialized members of the family. Burramys, which has large plagiaulacoid premolars, is the only possum specialized for feeding on seeds

The pygmy possums are considered to be a distinct family, separate from other phalangeroid lineages, on the basis of serology (Kirsch 1977). Kirsch included Acrobates in this lineage, though later, he supported morphological studies in placing it in a separate family on the basis of DNA hybridisation studies (Edwards & Westerman 1995; Kirsch et al. 1997). The Burramyidae are noteworthy for their generalized morphology and apparently primitive chromosomal constitution (Hayman & Martin 1974; Kirsch & Calaby 1977).

At the generic level, four subgenera of Dromicia (= Cercartetus) have been proposed and more recently, Kirsch (1977) accepted that the genus may indeed prove to be polyphyletic. Wakefield (1963) revised this genus and his arrangement is followed in this work.

General References

Baverstock, P.R. 1984. The molecular relationships of Australasian possums and gliders. pp. 1-8 in Smith, A. & Hume, I. (eds). Possums and Gliders. Sydney : Surrey Beatty & Sons, Australian Mammal Society 598 pp.

Edwards, D. & Westerman, M. 1995. The molecular relationships of possum and glider families as revealed by DNA-DNA hybridisations. Australian Journal of Zoology 43: 231-240 [publication date established from Duncan, F.M. 1937. On the dates of publication of the Society's 'Proceedings', 1859–1926. With an appendix containing the dates of publication of 'Proceedings', 1830–1858, compiled by the late F.H. Waterhouse, and of the 'Transactions', 1853–1869, by the late Henry Peavot, originally published in P.Z.S. 1893, 1913. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 107: 71–84]

Hayman, D.L. & Martin, P.G. 1974. Mammalia 1: Monotremata and Marsupialia. Animal Cytogenetics. Chordata. Berlin : Gebrüder Borntraeger Vol. 4 110 pp.

Kirsch, J.A.W. 1977. The comparative serology of Marsupialia, and a classification of marsupials. Australian Journal of Zoology Supplementary Series 52: 1-152

Kirsch, J.A.W., Lapointe, F-J. & Springer, M.S. 1997. DNA-hybridisation studies of marsupials and their implications for metatherian classification. Australian Journal of Zoology 45: 211-280

Kirsch, J.A.W. & Calaby, J.H. 1977. The species of living marsupials: an annotated list. pp. 9-26 in Stonehouse, B. & Gilmore, D. (eds). The Biology of Marsupials. Baltimore : University Park Press.

Turner, V. & McKay, G.M. 1989. Burramyidae. pp. 652-664 in Walton, D.W. & Richardson, B.J. (eds). Fauna of Australia. Mammalia. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 1B 827 pp.

Wakefield, N.A. 1963. The Australian pigmy-possums. Victorian Naturalist 80: 99-116 [8 Aug. 1963]

History of changes

• Burramys Broom, R. 1896. On a small fossil marsupial with large grooved premolars. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 2 10: 563-567 [31 Jan.1896] [563].

  Type species:

   Burramys parvus Broom, 1896 by monotypy.

Distribution

States

Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Victoria

Extra Distribution Information

Alpine and subalpine areas of Kosciusko National Park, Bogong High Plains and Mt Hotham.

IBRA

ACT, NSW, Vic: Australian Alps (AA), Flinders (FLI), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH)

History of changes

• Burramys parvus Broom, R. 1896. On a small fossil marsupial with large grooved premolars. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 2 10: 563-567 [31 Jan.1896] [563].

  Type data:

   
  Syntype(s) AM F3984 mandibular fragment, Wombeyan Caves, near Taralga, NSW; AM F45777 maxillary fragment, Wombeyan Caves, near Taralga, NSW; AM F45778 mandibular fragment, Wombeyan Caves, near Taralga, NSW.

Distribution

States

Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Victoria

Extra Distribution Information

Alpine and subalpine areas of Kosciusko National Park, Bogong High Plains and Mt Hotham.

IBRA

ACT, NSW, Vic: Australian Alps (AA), Flinders (FLI), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH)

Ecological Descriptors

Alpine, arthropod-feeder, granivore, low shrubland, montane, predator, terrestrial.

General References

Broome, L.S. 1995. Mountain Pygmy-possum Burramys parvus. pp. 208-210 in Strahan, R. (ed.). The Mammals of Australia: The National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife. Sydney : Reed New Holland 756 pp.

Broome, L.S. & Geiser, F. 1995. Hibernation in free-living mountain pygmy-possums, Burramys parvus (Marsupialia, Burramyidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 43: 373-379

Broome, L.S. & Mansergh, I.M. 1989. The mountain pygmy possum Burramys parvus (Broom) an alpine endemic. pp. 241-264 in Good, R. (ed.). The scientific significance of the Australian Alps. Canberra : Australian Alps National Parks Liaison Committee.

Caughley, J. 1986. Distribution and abundance of the mountain pygmy-possum, Burramys parvus Broom, in the Kosciusko National Park. Australian Wildlife Research 13: 507-516

Caughley, J. 1986. Distribution and abundance of the pygmy-possum, Burramys parvus Broom, in Kosciusko National Park. Australian Wildlife Research 13: 507-516

Dimpel, H. & Calaby, J.H. 1972. Further observations on the mountain pygmy possum (Burramys parvus). Victorian Naturalist 89: 101-106

Dixon, J.M. 1971. Burramys parvus Broom (Marsupialia) from Falls Creek area of the Bogong High Plains, Victoria. Victorian Naturalist 88: 133-138

Fleming, M.R. 1985. The thermal physiology of the Mountain Pygmy-possum Burramys parvus (Marsupialia: Burramyidae). Australian Mammalogy 8: 79-91

Geiser, F. & Broome, L.S. 1991. Hibernation in the mountain pygmy possum Burramys parvus (Marsupialia). Journal of Zoology, London 223: 593-602

Geiser, F. & Broome, L.S. 1993. The effect of temperature on the pattern of torpor in a marsupial hibernator. Journal of Comparative Physiology B 163: 133-137

Gullan, P. & Norris, K. 1984. The habitat of Burramys parvus (Broom) in Victoria. pp. 417-421 in Smith, A. & Hume, I. (eds). Possums and Gliders. Sydney : Surrey Beatty & Sons, Australian Mammal Society 598 pp.

Gunson, M.M., Sharman, G.B. & Thomson, J.A. 1968. The affinities of Burramys (Marsupialia: Phalangeroidea) as revealed by a study of its chromosomes. Australian Journal of Science 31: 40-41

Heinze, D., Broome, L. & Mansergh, I. 2004. A review of the ecology and conservation of the mountain pygmy-possum Burramys parvus Broom 1896. pp. 254-267 in Goldingay, R.L. & Jackson, S.M. (eds). The Biology of Australian Possums and Gliders. Sydney : Surrey Beatty & Sons.

Heinze, D. & Williams, L. 1998. The discovery of the mountain pygmy-possum Burramys parvus on Mount Buller, Victoria. Victorian Naturalist 115: 132-134

Hunter, S. 1992. Attempts at breeding the mountain pygmy possum at Healesville sanctuary. Thylacinus, Journal of the Australian Society of Zookeepers 17(4): 2-4

Kerle, J.A. 1984. The behaviour of Burramys parvus Broom (Marsupialia) in captivity. Mammalia 48: 317-325

Körtner, G. & Geiser, F. 1995. Effect of photoperiod and ambient-temperature on activity patterns and body weight cycles of mountain pygmy-possums, Burramys parvus (Marsupialia). Journal of Zoology, London 235: 311-322

Körtner, G. & Geiser, F. 1998. Ecology of natural hibernation in the marsupial mountain pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus). Oecologia (Berlin) 113: 170=178

Lindenmayer, D.B. & Cunningham, R.B. 1997. Patterns of co-occurrence among marsupials in the forests of central Victoria, southeastern Australia. Australian Journal of Ecology 22: 340-346

Mansergh, I. 1984. Ecological studies and conservation of Burramys parvus. pp. 545-552 in Smith, A. & Hume, I. (eds). Possums and Gliders. Sydney : Surrey Beatty & Sons, Australian Mammal Society 598 pp.

Mansergh, I. 1984. The mountain pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus (Broom)): a review. pp. 413-416 in Smith, A. & Hume, I. (eds). Possums and Gliders. Sydney : Surrey Beatty & Sons, Australian Mammal Society 598 pp.

Mansergh, I. 1984. The Mountain pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus), (Broom): a review. pp. 413-416 in Smith, A. & Hume, I. (eds). Possums and Gliders. Sydney : Surrey Beatty & Sons, Australian Mammal Society 598 pp.

Mansergh, I., Baxter, B., Scotts, D., Brady, T. & Jolley, D. 1990. Diet of the mountain pygmy-possum (Marsupialia: Burramyidae) and other small mammals in the alpine environment at Mt Higginbotham, Victoria. Australian Mammalogy 13: 167-177

Mansergh, I. & Broome, L. 1994. The mountain pygmy possum of the Australian Alps. Kensington : New South Wales University Press 114 pp.

Mansergh, I. & Scotts, D. 1990. Aspects of the life history and breeding biology of the mountain pygmy-possum, Burramys parvus, (Marsupialia: Burramyidae) in alpine Victoria. Australian Mammalogy 13: 179-191

Mansergh, I.M. 1984. Ecological studies and conservation of Burramys parvus. pp. 545-552 in Smith, A. & Hume, I. (eds). Possums and Gliders. Sydney : Surrey Beatty & Sons, Australian Mammal Society 598 pp.

Mansergh, I.M. & Scotts, D.J. 1986. Winter occurrence of the mountain pygmy-possum Burramys parvus (Broom) (Marsupialia: Burramyidae), on Mt Higginbotham, Victoria. Australian Mammalogy 9: 35-42

Mansergh, I.M. & Walsh, N.G. 1983. Observations on the mountain pygmy possum, Burramys parvus, on Mt Higginbotham, Victoria. Victorian Naturalist 100: 106-115

Maxwell, S., Burbidge, A.A. & Morris, K. 1996. The 1996 Action Plan for Australian Marsupials and Monotremes. Canberra : Wildlife Australia 234 pp.

O'Brien, K.R. & Gowans, R.M. 1985. The distribution of boulder streams and Podocarpus heath, components of the preferred habitat of Burramys parvus, in alpine and sub-alpine areas of eastern Victoria. Arthur Rylah Inst. Envir. Res. Tech. Rep. Ser. No 8. Dept of Conserv., Forests and Lands, Victoria : Melbourne. 22 pp.

O'Reilly, H.M., Mansergh, I. & Willig, R. 1986. Daily pattern of activity of a captive mountain pygmy-possum, Burramys parvus (Broom) (Marsupialia: Burramyidae). Australian Mammalogy 9: 53-55

Slater, G. 1987. Maintaining the mountain pygmy-possum Burramys parvus in captivity at Healesville Sanctuary. Thylacinus, Journal of the Australian Society of Zookeepers 12(4): 2-5

Smith, A.P. & Broome, L. 1992. The effects of season, sex and habitat on the diet of the mountain pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus). Wildlife Research 19: 755-768

Common Name References

ABRS 2001. Census of Australian Vertebrates. Australian Biological Resources Study. (Mountain Pygmy-possum)

History of changes

• Cercartetus Gloger, C.W.L. 1841. Gemeinnütziges Hand- und Hilfsbuch der Naturgeschichte. Für gebildete Leser aller Stände, besonders für die reifere Jugend und ihre Lehrer. Erster Band, enthaltend die erste Hälfte der Naturgeschichte der Thiere, nebst erfahrungsmässigen Andeutungen über den gegenwärtigen Zustand und Erfolg des Unterrichts in dieser Wissenschaft, namentlich auf Gymnasien, und Vorrschlägen über fernere Einrichtung desselben im Verhaltnisse zu seinem Wirklichen Zwecke. Hefte 1–5. Breslau : A. Schulz & Comp. 400 pp. [publication date established from Thomas, O. 1895. An analysis of the mammalian generic names given in Dr. C.W.L. Gloger's 'Naturgeschichte' (1841). Annals and Magazine of Natural History 6 15: 189–193 [189]] [85] [Thomas, O. 1888. Catalogue of the Marsupialia and Monotremata in the Collection of the British Museum (Natural History). London : British Museum xiii 401 pp. 28 pls [3 Nov. 1888] incorrectly cites Didelphis peregrinus Boddaert, 1785 as type species].

  Type species:

   Phalangista nana Desmarest, 1818 by monotypy.

  Secondary source:

   Thomas, O. 1888. Catalogue of the Marsupialia and Monotremata in the Collection of the British Museum (Natural History). London : British Museum xiii 401 pp. 28 pls. [3 Nov. 1888].
• Dromicia Gray, J.E. 1841. Contributions towards the geographical distribution of the Mammalia in Australia, with notes on some recently discovered species, in a letter addressed to the Author. Appendix C. pp. 397-414 in Grey, G. (ed.). Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-west and Western Australia During the Years 1837, 38, and 39, Under the Authority of Her Majesty's Government. Describing many newly discovered, important, and fertile districts, with observations on the moral and physical condition of the aboriginal inhabitants, &c. &c. London : T. & W. Boone Vol. 2 vii 482 pp. [Date published Nov. 1841] [401].

  Type species:

   Phalangista nana Desmarest, 1818 by monotypy (cited as Geoffroy, 1803).
• Eudromicia Mjöberg, E. 1916. Results of Dr. E. Mjöberg's Swedish Scientific Expeditions to Australia 1910–1913. II. Mammals from Queensland. 2. On a new genus and species of marsupial. Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps-Academiens Nya Handlingar, Stockholm 52(2): 13-20 [16 Jan. 1916] [13] [Iredale, T. & Troughton, E. le G. 1934. A check-list of the mammals recorded from Australia. Mem. Aust. Mus. 6: i–xii 1–122 incorrectly assigned E. macrura Mjöberg, 1916 as haplotype; Mjöberg (1916) included three species in Eudromicia without designating or indicating a type species].

  Type species:

   Eudromicia macrura Mjöberg, 1916 by subsequent designation, see Matschie, P. 1916. Die Verbreitung der Beuteltiere auf NeuGuinea mit einigen Bemerkungen über ihre Einteilung in Untergattungen. Mitteilungen aus dem Zoologischen Museum in Berlin 8: 259-308 +map [Date published June 1916].

  Secondary source:

   Iredale, T. & Troughton, E. le G. 1934. A check-list of the mammals recorded from Australia. Memoirs of the Australian Museum 6: i-xii 1-122.
• Dromiciola Matschie, P. 1916. Die Verbreitung der Beuteltiere auf NeuGuinea mit einigen Bemerkungen über ihre Einteilung in Untergattungen. Mitteilungen aus dem Zoologischen Museum in Berlin 8: 259-308 +map [Date published June 1916] [260] [first used as subgenus of Dromicia Gray, 1841].

  Type species:

   Dromicia lepida Thomas, 1888 by original designation.
• Dromiciella Matschie, P. 1916. Die Verbreitung der Beuteltiere auf NeuGuinea mit einigen Bemerkungen über ihre Einteilung in Untergattungen. Mitteilungen aus dem Zoologischen Museum in Berlin 8: 259-308 +map [Date published June 1916] [260] [first used as subgenus of Dromicia Gray, 1841].

  Type species:

   Dromicia concinna Gould, 1845 by original designation.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Wakefield, N.A. 1963. The Australian pigmy-possums. Victorian Naturalist 80: 99-116 [8 Aug. 1963] [114-115]

Distribution

States

Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia

IBRA

ACT, NSW, Qld, SA, Tas, Vic: Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Ben Lomond (BEL), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cobar Peneplain (CP), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Desert Uplands (DEU), Darling Riverine Plains (DRP), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), King (KIN), Mulga Lands (ML), Nandewar (NAN), New England Tablelands (NET), NSW North Coast (NNC), Sydney Basin (SB), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Tasmanian Central Highlands (TCH), Tasmanian Northern Midlands (TNM), Tasmanian Northern Slopes (TNS), Tasmanian South East (TSE), Tasmanian Southern Ranges (TSR), Tasmanian West (TWE), Wet Tropics (WT) ; ACT, NSW, Qld, SA, Tas, Vic, WA: Australian Alps (AA), Broken Hill Complex (BHC), Flinders (FLI), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), NSW South Western Slopes (NSS), Riverina (RIV), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), Victorian Midlands (VM), Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP) ; SA, Tas, Vic, WA: Kanmantoo (KAN) ; SA, Vic, WA: Avon Wheatbelt (AW), Coolgardie (COO), Central Ranges (CR), Dampierland (DL), Esperance Plains (ESP), Eyre Yorke Block (EYB), Flinders Lofty Block (FLB), Gawler (GAW), Gibson Desert (GD), Geraldton Sandplains (GS), Great Sandy Desert (GSD), Great Victoria Desert (GVD), Hampton (HAM), Jarrah Forest (JF), Little Sandy Desert (LSD), Mallee (MAL), Murchison (MUR), Nullarbor (NUL), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Tanami (TAN), Warren (WAR), Yalgoo (YAL)

Distribution References

History of changes

• Dromicia caudata Milne Edwards, A. 1877. Note sur quelques mammifères nouveaux provenant de la Nouvelle-Guinée. Comptes Rendus (Hebdomadaires) des Séances de l'Academie des Sciences. Série D. Sciences Naturelles 85: 1079-1081 [1079].

  Type data:

   Lectotype MNHP Nouv. Cat. Gal. Nº 159 ♀ skin & skull, Arfak Mts, Irian Jaya, Indonesia.

Generic Combinations

• Eudromicia caudata (Milne-Edwards, 1877).
• Cercartetus caudatus (Milne-Edwards, 1877).

Taxonomic Decision for Subspecies Arrangement

• Wakefield, N.A. 1963. The Australian pigmy-possums. Victorian Naturalist 80: 99-116 [8 Aug. 1963] [115]

Distribution

States

Queensland

IBRA

Qld: Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Desert Uplands (DEU), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), NSW North Coast (NNC), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Wet Tropics (WT)

Ecological Descriptors

Closed forest, insectivorous, mellivore, predator.

Extra Ecological Information

Usually solitary.

Common Name References

ABRS 2001. Census of Australian Vertebrates. Australian Biological Resources Study. (Long-tailed Pygmy Possum)

History of changes

• Eudromicia macrura Mjöberg, E. 1916. Results of Dr. E. Mjöberg's Swedish Scientific Expeditions to Australia 1910–1913. II. Mammals from Queensland. 2. On a new genus and species of marsupial. Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps-Academiens Nya Handlingar, Stockholm 52(2): 13-20 [16 Jan. 1916] [14].

  Type data:

   Status unknown, whereabouts unknown, Cedar Creek, Atherton, QLD.

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Between Townsville and Cooktown.

IBRA

Qld: Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Wet Tropics (WT)

Ecological Descriptors

Closed forest, insectivorous, mellivore, predator.

Extra Ecological Information

Insectivore.

General References

Atherton, R.G. & Haffenden, A.T. 1982. Observations on the reproduction and growth of the long-tailed pygmy possum, Cercartetus caudatus (Marsupialia, Burramyidae), in captivity. Australian Mammalogy 5: 253-259

Atherton, R.G. & Haffenden, A.T. 1995. Long-tailed Pygmy-possum Cercartetus caudatus. pp. 211-212 in Strahan, R. (ed.). The Mammals of Australia: The National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife. Sydney : Reed New Holland 756 pp.

Dwyer, P.D. 1977. Notes on Antechinus and Cercartetus (Marsupialia) in the New Guinea Highlands. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland 88: 69-73

Smith, A.P. 1986. Stomach contents of the Long-tailed Pygmy-possum, Cercartetus caudatus (Marsupialia: Burramyidae). Australian Mammalogy 9: 135-137

Smith, A.P. 1986. Stomach contents of the Long-tailed Pygmy-possum, Cercartetus caudatus (Marsupialia: Burramyidae). Australian Mammalogy 9: 135-137

Winter, J. 1991. Mammals. pp. 43-54 in Nix, H.A. & Switzer, M.A. (eds). Rainforest Animals: Atlas of vertebrates endemic to Australia's wet tropics. Canberra : Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service 111 pp. [Kowari]

Winter, J.W. 1984. Conservation studies of tropical rainforest possums. pp. 469-481 in Smith, A. & Hume, I. (eds). Possums and Gliders. Sydney : Surrey Beatty & Sons, Australian Mammal Society 598 pp.

Ziegler, A.C. 1977. Evolution of New Guinea's marsupial fauna in response to a forested environment. pp. 117-138 in Stonehouse, B. & Gilmore, D. (eds). The Biology of Marsupials. London : Macmillan.

Common Name References

ABRS 2001. Census of Australian Vertebrates. Australian Biological Resources Study. (Long-tailed Pygmy Possum)

History of changes

• Dromicia concinna Gould, J. 1845. [untitled abstract]. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1845: 2 [May 1845].

  Type data:

   Lectotype BMNH 1844.7.9.12 ♂, Swan River, WA.
• Phalangista (Dromicia) neillii Waterhouse, G.R. 1846. A Natural History of the Mammalia. Vol. 1, containing the order Marsupiata or pouched animals with 22 illustrations engraved on steel, and 18 engravings on wood. London : Baillière. [315].

  Type data:

   Lectotype BMNH 1860.1.5.27 ♂ adult skull only, King George Sound, WA.
• Cercartetus concinnus minor Wakefield, N.A. 1963. The Australian pigmy-possums. Victorian Naturalist 80: 99-116 [8 Aug. 1963] [100].

  Type data:

   Holotype NMV C7802 ♂ skin & skull, Nurcoung 16 km NW of Natimuk, VIC.

  Secondary source:

   Dixon, J.M. 1970. Catalogue of mammal types (Class Mammalia) in the National Museum of Victoria. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne 31: 105-114.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Jackson, S. & Groves, C. 2015. Taxonomy of Australian Mammals. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing 520 pp. [105]

Generic Combinations

• Cercartetus concinnus (Gould, 1845).

Taxonomic Decision for Subspecies Arrangement

• Wakefield, N.A. 1963. The Australian pigmy-possums. Victorian Naturalist 80: 99-116 [8 Aug. 1963] [100]

Distribution

States

South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Kangaroo Is., in W plateau, only extreme SW corner.

IBRA

SA, Vic, WA: Australian Alps (AA), Avon Wheatbelt (AW), Broken Hill Complex (BHC), Coolgardie (COO), Central Ranges (CR), Dampierland (DL), Esperance Plains (ESP), Eyre Yorke Block (EYB), Flinders Lofty Block (FLB), Flinders (FLI), Gawler (GAW), Gibson Desert (GD), Geraldton Sandplains (GS), Great Sandy Desert (GSD), Great Victoria Desert (GVD), Hampton (HAM), Jarrah Forest (JF), Kanmantoo (KAN), Little Sandy Desert (LSD), Mallee (MAL), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Murchison (MUR), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), NSW South Western Slopes (NSS), Nullarbor (NUL), Riverina (RIV), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Tanami (TAN), Victorian Midlands (VM), Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP), Warren (WAR), Yalgoo (YAL)

Ecological Descriptors

Insectivorous, low open woodland.

General References

Geiser, F. 1987. Hibernation and daily torpor in two pygmy possums (Cercartetus spp., Marsupialia). Physiological Zoology 60: 93-102

Kemp, L.F. & Carthew, S.M. 2004. Nest site selection by the western pygmy-possum Cercartetus concinnus. pp. 237-245 in Goldingay, R.L. & Jackson, S.M. (eds). The Biology of Australian Possums and Gliders. Sydney : Surrey Beatty & Sons.

Landwehr, G.G., Richardson, K.C. & Wooller, R.D. 1990. Sugar preferences of honey possums, Tarsipes rostratus (Marsupialia: Tarsipedidae) and western pygmy possums, Cercatetus concinnus (Marsupialia: Burramyidae). Australian Mammalogy 13: 5-10

Smith, M.J. 1995. Western Pygmy-possum Cercartetus concinnus. pp. 213-214 in Strahan, R. (ed.). The Mammals of Australia: The National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife. Sydney : Reed New Holland 756 pp.

Tyndale-Biscoe, C.H. 1984. Reproductive physiology of possums and gliders. pp. 79-87 in Smith, A. & Hume, I. (eds). Possums and Gliders. Sydney : Surrey Beatty & Sons, Australian Mammal Society 598 pp.

Wakefield, N.A. 1963. The Australian pigmy-possums. Victorian Naturalist 80: 99-116 [8 Aug. 1963]

Ward, S.J. 1990. Life history of the western pygmy-possum, Cercartetus concinnus (Marsupialia: Burramyidae), with notes on reproduction of some other small possum species. Australian Journal of Zoology 38: 423-438

Common Name References

ABRS 2001. Census of Australian Vertebrates. Australian Biological Resources Study. (Western Pygmy-possum)

History of changes

• Dromicia lepida Thomas, O. 1888. Catalogue of the Marsupialia and Monotremata in the Collection of the British Museum (Natural History). London : British Museum xiii 401 pp. 28 pls. [3 Nov. 1888] [142].

  Type data:

   Holotype BMNH 1852.1.15.11 ♀ adult in alcohol with skull extracted, TAS.

Generic Combinations

• Eudromicia lepidus (Thomas, 1888).
• Cercartetus lepidus (Thomas, 1888).

Distribution

States

South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria

Extra Distribution Information

Kangaroo Is., on mainland restricted to Renmark, Mildura region.

IBRA

SA, Tas, Vic: Ben Lomond (BEL), Broken Hill Complex (BHC), Flinders (FLI), Kanmantoo (KAN), King (KIN), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Tasmanian Central Highlands (TCH), Tasmanian Northern Midlands (TNM), Tasmanian Northern Slopes (TNS), Tasmanian South East (TSE), Tasmanian Southern Ranges (TSR), Tasmanian West (TWE)

Ecological Descriptors

Arthropod-feeder, coastal, open forest, open scrub, predator, tall open forest.

Extra Ecological Information

Diet also includes small lizards.

General References

Cadzow, B. & Carthew, S.M. 2004. The importance of two species of Banksia in the diet of the western pygmy-possum Cercartetus concinnus and the little pygmy-possum Cercartetus lepidus in South Australia. pp. 246-253 in Goldingay, R.L. & Jackson, S.M. (eds). The Biology of Australian Possums and Gliders. Sydney : Surrey Beatty & Sons.

Conole, L.E. 1996. The little pygmy-possum Cercartetus lepidus; an addition to the fauna of southwest-Victoria. Victorian Naturalist 113: 20-24

Green, R.H. 1980. The little pygmy-possum, Cercatetus lepidus in Tasmania. Records of the Queen Victoria Museum, Launceston 68: 1-12

Green, R.H. 1995. Little Pygmy-possum Cercartetus lepidus. pp. 215-216 in Strahan, R. (ed.). The Mammals of Australia: The National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife. Sydney : Reed New Holland 756 pp.

Smith, M.J. 1984. Observations on the reproductive system and paracloacal glands of Cercartetus lepidus (Marsupialia: Burramyidae). Australian Mammalogy 7: 175-178

Ward, S.J. 1992. Life history of the little pygmy-possum, Cercartetus lepidus (Marsupialia: Burrymidae), in the Big Desert, Victoria. Australian Journal of Zoology 40: 43-55

Common Name References

ABRS 2001. Census of Australian Vertebrates. Australian Biological Resources Study. (Little Pygmy-possum)

History of changes

Generic Combinations

• Cercartetus nanus (Desmarest, 1818).

Taxonomic Decision for Subspecies Arrangement

• Wakefield, N.A. 1963. The Australian pigmy-possums. Victorian Naturalist 80: 99-116 [8 Aug. 1963] [103-104, 115]

Distribution

States

Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria

IBRA

ACT, NSW, Qld, SA, Tas, Vic: Australian Alps (AA), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Ben Lomond (BEL), Broken Hill Complex (BHC), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cobar Peneplain (CP), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Desert Uplands (DEU), Darling Riverine Plains (DRP), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Flinders (FLI), King (KIN), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Mulga Lands (ML), Nandewar (NAN), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), New England Tablelands (NET), NSW North Coast (NNC), NSW South Western Slopes (NSS), Riverina (RIV), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Tasmanian Central Highlands (TCH), Tasmanian Northern Midlands (TNM), Tasmanian Northern Slopes (TNS), Tasmanian South East (TSE), Tasmanian Southern Ranges (TSR), Tasmanian West (TWE), Victorian Midlands (VM), Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP), Wet Tropics (WT)

Ecological Descriptors

Arthropod-feeder, closed forest, closed heath, mellivore, open forest, predator, woodland.

Extra Ecological Information

Mainly solitary.

General References

Bladon, R.V., Dickman, C.R. & Hume, I.D. 2002. Effects of habitat fragmentation on the demography, movements and social organisation of the eastern pygmy possum (Cercartetus nanus) in northern New South Wales. Wildlife Research 29: 105-116

Bowen, M. & Goldingay, R.L. 2000. Distribution and status of the eastern pygmy possum (Cercartetus nanus) in New South Wales. Australian Mammalogy 21: 153-164

Braithwaite, L.W., Binns, D.L. & Nowlan, R.D. 1988. The distribution of arboreal marsupials in relation to eucalypt forest types in the Eden (NSW) Woodchip Concession Area. Australian Wildlife Research 15: 363-373

Carthew, S.M. 1994. Foraging behaviour of marsupial pollinators in a population of Banksia spinulosa. Oikos 69: 133-139

Dickman, C.R. & Happold, D.C.D. 1988. The eastern pygmy-possum, Cercartetus nanus in the Australian Capital Territory. Australian Mammalogy 11: 77-79

Geiser, F. 1993. Hibernation in the eastern pygmy possum, Cercartetus nanus (Marsupialia : Burramyidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 41: 67-75

Goldingay, R.L., Carthew, S.M. & Whelan, R.J. 1991. The importance of non-flying mammals in pollination. Oikos 61: 79-87

Harris, J.M. 2005. Annotated records of the eastern pygmy-possum Cercartetus nanus from the Victorian Naturalist 1884-2004. Victorian Naturalist 122: 146-150

Harris, J.M., Gynther, I.C., Eyre, T.J., Goldingay, R.L. & Mathieson 2007. Distribution, habitat and conservation of the Eastern Pygmy-possum Cercartetus nanus in Queensland. The Australian Zoologist 34(2): 209-221

Harris, J.M. & Goldingay, R.L. 2005. Detection of the eastern pygmy-possum Cercartetus nanus at Barren Grounds Nature Reserve, New South Wales. Australian Mammalogy 27: 85-88

Harris, J.M. & Goldingay, R.L. 2005. Distribution, habitat and conservation of the eastern pygmy-possum Cercartetus nanus in Victoria. Australian Mammalogy 27: 185-210

Huang, C., Ward, S. & Lee, A.K. 1987. Comparison of the diets of the feathertail glider, Acrobates pygmaeus, and the eastern pygmy possum, Cercartetus nanus (Marsupialia: Burramyidae) in sympatry. Australian Mammalogy 10: 47-50

Laidlaw, W.S. & Wilson, B.A. 1996. The home range and habitat utilisation of Cercartetus nanus (Marsupialia: Burramyidae) in coastal heathland, Anglesea, Victoria. Australian Mammalogy 19: 63-68

Lindenmayer, D.B. & Cunningham, R.B. 1997. Patterns of co-occurrence among marsupials in the forests of central Victoria, southeastern Australia. Australian Journal of Ecology 22: 340-346

McKay, G.M. 1984. Cytogenetic relationships of possums and gliders. pp. 9-16 in Smith, A. & Hume, I. (eds). Possums and Gliders. Sydney : Surrey Beatty & Sons, Australian Mammal Society 598 pp.

Shelley, D. 1998. Survey of vertebrate fauna and habitats in a cypress pine-ironbark forest in central-west New South Wales. The Australian Zoologist 30: 426-436

Turner, V. 1984. Banksia pollen as a source of protein in the diet of two Australian marsupials Cercartetus nanus and Tarsipes rostratus. Oikos 43: 53-61

Turner, V. & Ward, S.J. 1995. Eastern Pygmy-possum Cercartetus nanus. pp. 217-218 in Strahan, R. (ed.). The Mammals of Australia: The National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife. Sydney : Reed New Holland 756 pp.

Tyndale-Biscoe, C.H. 1984. Reproductive physiology of possums and gliders. pp. 79-87 in Smith, A. & Hume, I. (eds). Possums and Gliders. Sydney : Surrey Beatty & Sons, Australian Mammal Society 598 pp.

van Tets, I.G. 1998. Can flower-feeding marsupials meet their nitrogen requirements on pollen in the field? Australian Mammalogy 20: 383-390

van Tets, I.G. & Whelan, R.J. 1997. Banksia pollen in the diet of Australian mammals. Ecography 20: 499-505

Ward, S.J. 1990. Life history of the eastern pygmy-possum, Cercartetus nanus (Burramyidae: Marsupialia) in south-eastern Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 38: 287-304

Common Name References

ABRS 2001. Census of Australian Vertebrates. Australian Biological Resources Study. (Eastern Pygmy-possum)

History of changes

• Phalangista nana Anonymous 1818. Nouveau Dictionnaire d'Histoire Naturelle, appliquée aux arts, à l'agriculture, à l'économie rurale et domestique, à la médecine etc. Par une société de naturalistes et d'agriculteurs. Nouvelle edition presqu’entièrement refondue et considérarablement augmentée; avec des figures tirées des trois règnes de la nature. Paris : Deterville Vol. 25. [Date published 26 Dec. 1818] [477] [cited by Desmarest as P. nana Geoffroy; as Geoffroy's (1803) manuscript was never published, the name must be dated from Desmarest although several earlier authors e.g. Gray (1841) cited names from the Geoffroy ms].

  Type data:

   Lectotype MNHP Nouv. Cat. Gal. Nº 160 ♂ juv., Maria Is., TAS.
• Phalangista gliriformis Bell, T. 1828. Description of a new species of Phalangista. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London 16: 121-127 [121].

  Type data:

   Lectotype BMNH 1979.2190 ♀ adult skin & skull, TAS (as Australia).

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Wakefield, N.A. 1963. The Australian pigmy-possums. Victorian Naturalist 80: 99-116 [8 Aug. 1963]

Distribution

States

Tasmania

IBRA

Tas: Ben Lomond (BEL), Flinders (FLI), King (KIN), Tasmanian Central Highlands (TCH), Tasmanian Northern Midlands (TNM), Tasmanian Northern Slopes (TNS), Tasmanian South East (TSE), Tasmanian Southern Ranges (TSR), Tasmanian West (TWE)

Ecological Descriptors

Arthropod-feeder, closed forest, closed heath, mellivore, open forest, predator, woodland.

History of changes

• Dromicia unicolor Krefft, G. 1863. Description of a new species of the genus Dromicia discovered in the neighbourhood of Sydney. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1863: 49-50 [29 Apr. 1863] [49].

  Type data:

   Status unknown, whereabouts unknown, St Leonards, Sydney, NSW.
• Dromicia britta Jones, F.W. 1925. A new South Australian dormouse opossum. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 49: 96-98 [24 Dec. 1925] [97].

  Type data:

   Status unknown, whereabouts unknown, Millicent, SA.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Wakefield, N.A. 1963. The Australian pigmy-possums. Victorian Naturalist 80: 99-116 [8 Aug. 1963]

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria

Extra Distribution Information

Southern Qld.

IBRA

NSW, Qld, SA, Vic: Australian Alps (AA), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), NSW North Coast (NNC), NSW South Western Slopes (NSS), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), Victorian Midlands (VM), Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP)

Ecological Descriptors

Arthropod-feeder, closed forest, closed heath, mellivore, open forest, predator, woodland.

General References

Harris, J.M., Gynther, I.C., Eyre, T.J., Goldingay, R.L. & Mathieson 2007. Distribution, habitat and conservation of the Eastern Pygmy-possum Cercartetus nanus in Queensland. The Australian Zoologist 34(2): 209-221

History of changes