Critter Corner – Lemuroid Ringtail Possums
#CritterCorner – Look high into the rainforest canopy on a warm Wet Tropics evening and you might spot a furry acrobat launching through the treetops.
The Lemuroid Ringtail Possum (Hemibelideus lemuroides) spends most of its life high above the forest floor, moving through the canopy with surprising agility and leaping up to three metres between branches. Found only in the Wet Tropics of Far North Queensland, this remarkable possum is one of the rainforest’s many unique residents.
By day, Lemuroid Ringtail Possums shelter in tree hollows, hidden among the cool mountain forests they call home. When night falls, they emerge to feed on leaves, often making their presence known through the rustling and movement of the canopy overhead.
About the size of a Common Ringtail Possum, they weigh between 750 grams and 1.1 kilograms and have a body length of up to 38 centimetres. Most have brown-grey to rich chocolate-brown fur with a creamy underside, though some individuals are entirely white. These striking white possums have become one of the Wet Tropics’ most memorable wildlife sightings.
Leaves make up most of their diet. Young leaves from Queensland Maple, Brown Quandong and Brown Bollywood trees are particular favourites, although they will also feed on mature leaves, flower buds and other rainforest vegetation when available.
Unlike some possum species, Lemuroid Ringtail Possums are social animals and are often found living in pairs or small family groups. Females usually give birth to a single joey between August and November, with the young remaining dependent on their mother for many months before eventually becoming independent.
Life in the cool, misty rainforests of the Wet Tropics has shaped this species over thousands of years. Unfortunately, it has also made them especially vulnerable to a warming climate.
Scientists have identified climate change as one of the greatest threats facing the Lemuroid Ringtail Possum. Because they are adapted to cool, high-altitude rainforest, even relatively small increases in temperature can reduce the amount of suitable habitat available to them. White individuals are particularly sensitive to heat and struggle to survive prolonged temperatures above 30°C.
Although the Lemuroid Ringtail Possum is currently listed as Least Concern in Queensland, scientists have raised concerns about its long-term future as rising temperatures continue to reduce the cool, high-altitude habitat it depends upon.
For a species found nowhere else on Earth, protecting the Wet Tropics is about more than conserving rainforest. It helps safeguard the specialised habitats that unique animals like the Lemuroid Ringtail Possum depend on for survival.
Fun Facts About the Lemuroid Ringtail Possum
- Found Nowhere Else: The Lemuroid Ringtail Possum is endemic to Queensland’s Wet Tropics.
- Canopy Acrobat: These possums can leap up to three metres between branches.
- A Rare White Coat: While most are brown, some individuals are completely white.
- Night-time Neighbours: They spend their days in tree hollows and become active after sunset.
- Leaf Lovers: Young rainforest leaves are among their favourite foods.
References
- Qld Department of Environment and Science
- Photos courtesy of Wet Tropics Management Authority
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