Phalanger mimicus (Thomas, 1922)

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 : 491-492

19.

Southern Common Cuscus

Phalanger mimicus

French: Phalanger de Mimika / German: Sidlicher Grauer Kuskus / Spanish: Cuscus meridional

Other common names: Australian Common Cuscus

Taxonomy. Phalanger orientalis mimicus Thomas, 1922 ,

“ Coastal region south of Nassau Range ... Parimau , Mimika River. Alt. 250°” (Papua Province, Indonesia).

This species was long regarded as a subspecies of P. orientalis and more recently as a synonym of P. intercastellanus , before being recognized as a distinct species. No subspecies are recognized, but further study may show that some regional populations (such as the population found on Cape York in Australia, previously recognized as the form peninsulae ) are best recognized as distinct subspecies. Monotypic.

Distribution. New Guinea S lowlands and Aru Is and in the Iron Range-Mcllwraith Range block of rainforest on E Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 33-40 cm, tail 28-35 cm; weight 1.5-2.2 kg. The Southern Common Cuscus is a small to medium-sized cuscus (condylobasal length 70-82 mm). Overall color is grayish-brown dorsally and off-white ventrally. In New Guinean populations, females are redder brown in overall color than gray-brown males. Dorsal stripe runs from head to rump. Skull and molars of the Southern Common Cuscus are smaller than in the Northern Common Cuscus ( P. orientalis ) and the Eastern Common Cuscus ( P. intercastellanus ), and skull is different in overall shape, especially in that zygomatic arches run parallel to midline of skull or diverge rostrally.

Habitat. Secondary forests, gallery forest near rivers, gardens, and some degraded habitat in New Guinea and rainforest, semi-deciduous mesophyll vine forest, notophyll vine forest, and evergreen notophyll vine forest in Australia.

Food and Feeding. In Australia, Southern Common Cuscuses feed on green fruits of red cedar ( Toona australis , Meliaceae ), flowers of corky bark ( Carallia brachiata , Rhizophoraceae ), and leaves of various trees. One stomach examined was filled with paste of seeds from black bean trees ( Castanospermum austral, Fabaceae ).

Breeding. In Australia, single births and twins of Southern Common Cuscuses have been recorded.

Activity patterns. Southern Common Cuscuses are nocturnal and shelter by day in tree hollows. Pythons are thought to be important predators.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. In Australia, densities of occurrence of Southern Common Cuscuses are regarded as low, with one individual seen, on average, every 2-5 hours of spotlighting in lowland and upland forests. The Southern Common Cuscus is thought to be solitary.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Least Concern on The [UCN Red List. The Southern Common Cuscus has a wide distribution and presumably a large overall population. It also occurs in protected areas such as Iron Range and Kulla (Mcllwraith Range) national parks in Australia and tolerates some level of habitat modification.

Bibliography. Flannery (1994a), Norris & Musser (2001), Salas, Dickman & Helgen (2008), Tate (1945b), Winter & Leung (2008b), Woinarski et al. (2014bu).

Figures

11. Peleng Cuscus (Phalanger pelengensus), 12. Moluccan Cuscus (Phalanger ornatus), 13. Gebe Cuscus (Phalanger alexandrae), 14. Obi Cuscus (Phalanger rothschildi), 15. Ground Cuscus (Phalanger gymnotis), 16. Woodlark Cuscus (Phalanger lullulae), 17. Northern Common Cuscus (Phalanger orientalis), 18. Eastern Common Cuscus (Phalanger intercastellanus), 19. Southern Common Cuscus (Phalanger mimicus), 20. Telefomin Cuscus (Phalanger matanim), 21. Stein’s Cuscus (Phalanger vestitus), 22. Silky Cuscus (Phalanger sericeus), 23. Mountain Cuscus (Phalanger carmelitae), 24. Black Spotted Cuscus (Spilocuscus rufoniger), 25. Waigeo Spotted Cuscus (Spilocuscus papuensis), 26. Admiralty Spotted Cuscus (Spilocuscus kraemeri), 27. Blue-eyed Spotted Cuscus (Spilocuscus wilsoni), 28. Common Spotted Cuscus (Spilocuscus maculatus), 29. Australian Spotted Cuscus (Spilocuscus nudicaudatus)

Distribution. New Guinea S lowlands and Aru Is and in the Iron Range-Mcllwraith Range block of rainforest on E Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia.