Species Spilocuscus nudicaudatus (Gould, 1850)

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CAVS: 1734

Species Spilocuscus nudicaudatus (Gould, 1850)

Common Spotted Cuscus

Phalangista (Pseudocheirus) nudicaudata Gould, J. 1850. On new species of Mammalia and birds from Australia. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1849: 109-112 Aves pl. 12 [ante June 1850; publication date established from Sclater, P.L. 1893. List of the dates of receipt from the Printers of the sheets of the Society's 'Proceedings' from 1831 to 1859 inclusive. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1893: 435–440 [438]] [110].
Type data:
Lectotype BMNH 1851.1.11.17 ♀ juv., Cape York, QLD.
Subsequent designation references:
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].
Cuscus brevicaudatus Gray, J.E. 1858. Observations on the genus Cuscus, with the description of a new species. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1858: 100-105 [27 Apr. 1858] [102] [replacement name for Phalangista (Pseudocheirus) nudicaudata Gould, 1850].
Cuscus maculatus ochropus Gray, J.E. 1866. Notes on some Mammalia from Port Albany (Cape York Peninsula), North Australia, with the descriptions of some new species. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1866: 219-221 pl. 25 [Date published 5 Sept. 1866: 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 [72]] [220].
Type data:
Lectotype BMNH 1866.4.23.4 ♀ juv., Somerset (as Port Albany), Cape York, QLD.
Subsequent designation references:
Thomas, O. 1922. A selection of lectotypes of the typical Australian marsupials in the British Museum Collection. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 9 10: 127-128.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

George, G.G. 1987. Characterisation of the living species of cuscus (Marsupialia: Phalangeridae). pp. 507-526 in Archer, M. (ed.). Possums and Opossums: studies in evolution. Sydney : Surrey Beatty & Sons with the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales 2 vols lxxii 788 pp.

Introduction

Previously treated as a subspecies of the predominantly New Guinean species Spilocuscus maculatus (Desmarest, 1818), however, it was recognised as a valid species by others in Jackson & Groves (2015).

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Cape York Peninsula from Coen north.

IBRA and IMCRA regions (map not available)

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)