Spilocuscus nudicaudatus (Gould, 1850)

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2015, Phalangeridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 5 Monotremes and Marsupials, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 456-497 : 497

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6657415
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6620433
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/D344591F-5332-0701-2305-FD4F1855F898
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Spilocuscus nudicaudatus
status

Treatment

29. View Plate 27: Phalangeridae

Australian Spotted Cuscus

Spilocuscus nudicaudatus

French: Phalanger de Cape York / German: Kap-York-Tupfelkuskus / Spanish: Cuscus moteado de Australia

Taxonomy. Phalangista (Pseudocheirus) nudicaudata Gould, 1850 ,

“ Cape York , the most northern point of Australia,” Queensland.

Commonly considered a subspecies of S. maculatus , but it is best recognized as a distinct species. Monotypic.

Distribution. Cape York Peninsula of NE Queensland, N of the Stewart River and the Coen-Archer River system, including Mcllwraith and Iron ranges. View Figure

Descriptive notes. Head—body 41-58 cm (mean 48:6 cm), tail 37.5-48.5 cm (mean 42.7 cm); weight 2:7.4-9 kg (mean 3-6 kg). The Australian Spotted Cuscus is one of the smallest species of spotted cuscus; only the Admiralty Spotted Cuscus (S. kraemert) is smaller. Pelage patterning of the Australian Spotted Cuscus is diagnostic. Overall color of dorsum is steely gray from face to tail and on dorsal surfaces of limbs in both sexes, characterized by gray-brown underfur marked with silvery-golden tipping, a color similar to the Koala ( Phascolarctos cinereus ). Underside of the Australian Spotted Cuscus is cream from chin and cheeks to tail, sometimes extending to dorsal surface of tail. Gray dorsum is darker on head and forequarters than on hindquarters, and distal tail, ears, hands, and feet (sometimes rump) are typically yellowish-cream. Males have cream-colored spots and blotches on dorsum, mostly on midand lower back; females generally lack cream markings on dorsum and generally do not have darkened “saddle” markings on mid-back. Pelage is dense and rather woolly in appearance. Occasional individuals have an orange wash evident in fur, but predominate coloris dull gray. A similar (but not identical) gray pattern is seen only in some color variants of the Common Spotted Cuscus ( S. maculatus ) from the Moluccas. As with other spotted cuscuses, ears of the Australian Spotted Cuscus are relatively short and largely hidden in fur. Natal coat is similar in color to that of adults but lacks conspicuous silver-gold tipping to fur. Sexual size dimorphism appears to be less pronounced in the Australian Spotted Cuscus than in most other species of Spilocuscus . Tail averages 11% shorter than head-body length. Skull of the Australian Spotted Cuscusis highly distinctive in its combination of small cranialsize and small, narrowed molars. Other similarly smallbodied Spilocuscus taxa (i.e. the Blue-eyed Spotted Cuscus, S. wilsoni, and the Admiralty Spotted Cuscus) have much larger teeth. The Australian Spotted Cuscus has two lower unicuspids.

Habitat. Primarily in rainforests from sea level to the summit of the Mcllwraith Range at an elevation of 820 m. The Australian Spotted Cuscus is less commonly observed in nipa palms (Nypafruticans, Arecaceae ) on fringes of mangroves, in freshwater and saltwater mangroves, in large paperbark trees ( Melaleuca , Myrtaceae ), and in open forest up to 500 m from the nearest rainforest.

Food and Feeding. The Australian Spotted Cuscus is folivorous—frugivorous. It eats leaves of buttonwood ( Glochidion , Phyllanthaceae ), fruits of a variety of trees including the Leichhardt tree ( Nauclea orientalis , Rubiaceae ), native star-apple ( Planchonella ripicola, Sapotaceae ), and the fig Ficus hispida (Moraceae) . It also feeds on flowers, including those of the paperbark M. leucadendra. Captive Australian Spotted Cuscuses prefer young leaves and also eat animal matter, such as small vertebrates.

Breeding. Although few observations of reproductive characteristics of Australian Spotted Cuscuses have been made, pouch young have been observed in July—September and December, which suggest an extended breeding season. Although there are four teats in a female’s pouch, and despite three young having been reported, usually only one young is raised at a time.

Activity patterns. Australian Spotted Cuscuses are typically nocturnal and spend the day resting on branches or in thick clumps of foliage. They have been reported to construct rudimentary sleeping platforms of leaves by bring together branches. They can also be active for short periods after sunrise.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Australian Spotted Cuscuses are typically arboreal, but they also travel along the ground. Ability to disperse and not rely on tree hollows appears to allow them to inhabit rainforest fragments and regrowth. Predators of the Australian Spotted Cuscus include the wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax) and amethystine pythons ( Morelia amethistina ).

Status and Conservation. The Australian Spotted Cuscus has not been evaluated on The IUCN Red List because earlier taxonomies (although not formally the IUCN) considerit a subspecies of the Common Spotted Cuscus. Populations appear to be secure and stable.

Bibliography. Dawson & Degabriele (1973), Gray (1858a), Heinsohn (2004b), Helgen (2007c), Winter (2004), Winter & Leung (2008a), Winter et al. (2004).

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
SubClass	Metatheria
Order	Diprotodontia
SubOrder	Phalangeriformes
SuperFamily	Phalangeroidea
Family	Phalangeridae
Genus	Spilocuscus