Phalanger intercastellanus Thomas 1895

Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Diprotodontia, Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 1, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 43-70 : 46

Phalanger intercastellanus Thomas 1895

Phalanger intercastellanus Thomas 1895 , Novit. Zool., 2: 165.

Type Locality: Papua New Guinea, D’Entrecasteaux group, Fergusson Isl.

Vernacular Names: Eastern Common Cuscus.

Synonyms: Phalanger brevinasus Thomas 1895 ; Phalanger kiriwinae Thomas 1896 ; Phalanger matsika Tate and Archbold 1935 ; Phalanger meeki Thomas 1898 .

Distribution: SE Papua New Guinea, east of Markham valley; Sariba, Itoh, Goodenough, Fergusson, Normanby, Kiriwina, Misima, Sudest and Rossel Isl.

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (nt) as Queensland subpopulation, otherwise Lower Risk (lc). CITES – Appendix II as P. orientalis .

Discussion: Flannery et al. (1987) suggested that what were hitherto regarded as the southern races of P. orientalis may prove to be specifically, even generically distinct, as Strigocuscus mimicus , and Flannery (1994 a) definitively separated them but used the earlier name intercastellanus . Norris and Musser (2001) returned this species to Phalanger , and separated P. mimicus from it (see below). The species needs revision; at present no subspecies are recognized.