THE LEMUR - Like RINGTAIL POSSUM

The lemur-like ringtail possum (Hemibelideus lemuroides), also known as the lemuroid ringtail possum or the brushy-tailed ringtail, is one of the most singular members of the ringtail possum group. It was once thought that they were gliding possums (Petauroides volans); Hemibelideus literally translates as "half-glider" (belideus being a diminutive form of Petaurus, meaning "glider").^[3] They are similar to lemurs in their facial characteristics, which short snouts, large, forward-facing eyes and small ears, but similar to gliders, H. in their musculo-skeletal adaptations to accommodate a leaping lifestyle. Their long, prehensile tail is a further adaptation to their arboreal habitat.^[3]

 



It has a bushier tail when compared to other ringtails, and can be distinguished from the greater glider by its lack of gliding membrane and much shorter, hairless ears. It is a social possum, and is found in two main colour forms: the more common brownish-gray form,^[3] with a yellowish underbelly, and a rare white form, which occurred in the Daintree Rainforest and was last seen in 2005 in Mount Lewis National Park, and in 2008 believed to have been nearly extinct.^{[4][5] [6]}
This possum is found in a small area of only about 300,000 hectares in total, between Ingham and Cairns in Queensland, Australia, and in an isolated population on the Mount Carbine Tableland,^[4] both within the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.^[6] They are strictly arboreal and live in the high canopies of mature forests and favour particular tree types, usually found above 480-900 metres in elevation. Its body length is 30-38 cm and tail length of 30-35 cm, weighing between 810 and 1140 grams.^[3] Professor Stephen Williams, researcher on climate change and biodiversity at the Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change at James Cook University, Queensland, says that none were seen for several years after the heatwaves of 2005, when first a few were spotted (three were observed in the Daintree National Park, on Cape York Peninsula in 2009^[7]) then increasing numbers as they slowly recovered.^[6] Professor Williams said in 2009 that there was no reason to believe the white ones would be harder hit than the brown ones though.^[7]
Then the next heatwave in struck in November 2018, when the Cairns region was hit by the highest temperatures since records began - even the highest mountain in the wet tropics reached 39 degrees celsius. Many tropical species just cannot cope with extreme heat, not having evolved mechanisms to cool their bodies down, according to Professor Williams; they can die from temperatures above 29 degrees. He said that over the past 15 years systematically species have started to disappear from the lower elevations and being pushed up the mountain, causing the total populations to decline because they're being pushed and pushed into a smaller and smaller area as new species migrate to higher elevations. This puts pressure on creatures living in the mountain summits such as the lemuroid possum, which have nowhere else to go; the nearest rainforest is 1000 kilometres away.^[6]




 Binomial name







 Hemibelideus lemuroides

(Collett, 1884)

 


 Lemur-like ringtail possum range