Pygmy possum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pygmy possums |
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| Cercartetus nanus | |
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Burramyidae
Broom, 1898
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Burramys |
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The pygmy possums are a family of small possums that together form the marsupial family Burramyidae.
Four of the species are only found in Australia, with one species also co-occurring in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
Pygmy possums range in length from about 5 to 12 cm (2.0 to 4.7 in), and usually weigh between 10 and 50 grams (0.35 and 1.76 oz).
They are nocturnal and omnivorous, living on a diet of invertebrates, fruit, seed, nectar and pollen.
They are excellent climbers, due in part to their prehensile tails.
Although they cannot glide like some possums, some species can leap long distances. Their tails are good for grabbing branches, but spend most of their time on the ground.
The mountain pygmy possum is the only mammal restricted to the alpine and sub-alpine areas of mainland Australia. It was thought to be extinct until rediscovered in 1966 at Mt Higginbotham in Victoria. They are the only Australian marsupial that hibernates. Because they live in a very cold climate they store energy in fat deposits before rolling into a ball and regulating their body temperature during the winter months.
See also
In Spanish: Zarigüeyas pigmeas para niños
