Honey Possum

(Redirected from Tarsipedidae)

Category: Marsupials

The Honey Possum (Tarsipes rostratus) is a tiny marsupial weighing just 5 to 10 grams — not much more than half the size of a mouse.

One of the very few entirely nectarivoruos mammals, it has a number of unusual adaptations to its favoured habitat, the low-growing heathy scrub of the south-west corner. It has a prehensile tail and, instead of claws, it climbs using soft, fleshy pads on the tips of its fingers and toes. It has a long, pointed snout and a long, protusible tongue with a brush tip like that of a honeyeater.

Although restricted to a fairly small range, it is locally common and does not seem to be threatened with extinction so long as its habitat remains intact and diverse. Floral diversity is particularly important for the Honey Possum as it cannot survive without a year-round supply of nectar, and unlike nectarivorous birds, it cannot easily travel long distances in search of fresh supplies.

It is thought to be the sole survivor of an otherwise long-extinct marsupial group. It has no close relatives and is currently classified as the only member of its genus and of the family Tarsipedidae. Some authorities believe that it is sufficiently distinct to be more properly raised to a separate superfamily within the Diprotodontia.

The Honey Possum is mainly nocturnal but will come out to feed during daylight in cooler weather. Generally, however, it spends the days asleep in a shelter of convenience: a rock cranny, a tree cavity, the hollow inside a grass tree, or an abandoned bird nest. When food is scarce or in cold weather, it becomes torpid to conserve energy.