Pygmy Possum
by Jemma & Rachel
Description
The Pygmy Possum has a long tail, grey/brown fur, a pink nose and dark shadows around its eyes. The Pygmy Possum grows to 10cm in length.
Distribution
The total population of Pygmy Possums is less then 500 adults. The Pygmy Possum lives in alpine regions in NSW and Victoria including the Kosciuszko National Park.
Habitat and Ecology
The Pygmy Possums live on the ground in rocky areas. Seventy percent of its diet is invertebrates such as the migratory bogong moth, caterpillars, spiders and millipeeds. The Pygmy Possum also has four babies every spring.
Threats
The Pygmy Possums are losing their habitat as buildings and roads are built. The red fox and the feral cat have been eating them and people keep mistaking them for rats and mice and kill them.
Recovery Strategies
We should control foxes and feral cats.
We shouldn't use rat traps or poisons in the Pygmy Possum's area and protect all areas of the Pygmy Possum's habitat from fires.
Pygmy Possums | Two On The Great Divide | Sundays, 7.30pm, ABC1
Photos are from Wikimedia Commons.
Information is from http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedspecies/