Meet 5 marvellous mammals of the South Pacific you've probably never heard of

The black dorcopsis (Dorcopsis atrata) is an enigmatic wallaby from forests on the mountains of Papua New Guinea’s Goodenough Island. Madison Erin Mayfield

At the southeastern tip of Papua New Guinea is the gravity-defying Goodenough Island. It looms more than 2,500 metres above sea level, but it’s only about 3,900 metres wide – at the widest point.

Goodenough’s higher peaks are covered in rare forests. Here among the clouds is the only place you’ll find black dorcopsis.

Black dorcopsis often have very worn claws, suggesting they spend a great deal of time digging for truffles in the rocky soil. This probably plays an important role in dispersing fungi throughout their habitat.

Curiously, some appear to be wearing white gloves, on one or both front paws. Others do not. No one knows why.

2. Waigeo cuscus (Spilocuscus papuensis)

Conservation status: vulnerable

Distribution: Waigeo (Indonesia)

The Waigeo cuscus (Spilocuscus papuensis) is endemic to the island of Waigeo in Indonesia. Chien Lee, Author provided (no reuse)

Waigeo cuscus have a remarkable coat. Irregular black splotches stand out against a background of almost pure white. In young animals these contrasting colours are subdued by the presence of blackish-grey tips to the hairs.

The cuscus have been photographed in the branches of fruiting fig (Ficus spp.) and breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) trees, so they have a taste for fruit.

3. Bougainville melomys (Melomys bougainville)

Conservation status: data deficient

Distribution: Bougainville (Papua New Guinea), Choiseul and Mono (Solomon Islands)

The Bougainville melomys (Melomys bougainville) occurs in a wide variety of habitat on the islands of Bougainville, Choiseul and Mono. Stephen Richards

Pacific Island native rodents have proven vulnerable to disturbance, but thankfully Bougainville melomys seems to remain relatively common.

The contrast between orange fur on the head and back, and crisp white fur on the belly is rather attractive.

An active climber, Bougainville melomys can be found tiptoeing along thin woody vines (lianas), in fruiting trees among Bismarck common cuscuses (Phalanger breviceps), or scaling the trunks of wild betel nut palms (Areca spp.). They’ll tolerate disturbance and have been known to visit village edges to nibble on cultivated bananas.

4. Lesser sheath-tailed bat (Mosia nigrescens)

Conservation status: least concern

Distribution: Widespread throughout Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands

Lesser sheath-tail bats (Mosia nigrescens) are endearing little animals that roost in ‘tents’ under palm tree leaves across parts of Melanesia. Stephen Richards

If you’re quiet and patient while walking through the palm-filled lowland forests of Melanesia, you might be lucky enough to spot one of the region’s smallest and most common echo locating bats.

Lesser sheath-tailed bats are alert little creatures with good eyesight. They rest in small groups huddled together under the cover of a palm leaf where they’re sheltered from the rain. Although watchful, they’ll stay in place if approached with caution, allowing time to view how neatly stacked they are.

Lesser sheath-tailed bats are among the first to emerge of an evening, leaving their palm tree tents while there is still plenty of twilight. They fly in sharp circles in the open spaces above forests and villages. Then as darkness falls, they move away to focus on other areas.

Later in the evening you can find them back in the same roosts, again lined up front to back, taking a breather from their busy schedule of hunting for insects on the wing.

Read more: Pacific Island bats are utterly fascinating, yet under threat and overlooked. Meet 4 species

5. Palau flying-fox (Pteropus pelewensis)

Conservation status: vulnerable

Distribution: Ulithi, Yap (Federated States of Micronesia), Palau

The Palau flying-fox (Pteropus pelewensis) has suffered from hunting and international trade. Thibaud Aronson

The south-west Pacific supports an incredible diversity of endemic Pteropus flying-foxes. Over-harvesting and international trade for human consumption pushed most of Micronesia’s flying-foxes to the brink of extinction (and in fact did send two species extinct).

Thankfully the introduction of restrictions under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species stabilised populations of the Palau fying-fox. However, it remains vulnerable and threatened by habitat loss and climate change.

So much to learn

The species showcased here represent just a small fraction of the diversity of south-west Pacific mammals. So many unique species evolved here, on discrete areas of land separated by ocean. Unfortunately islands are also vulnerable to human disturbance and extinctions have already occurred here. There is still much to learn about many of these mammals. We hope this book will inspire more research, including how we can keep these fascinating island inhabitants thriving in a time of such great environmental change. Read more: Humans weren't to blame for the extinction of prehistoric island-dwelling animals Authors: Tyrone Lavery, The University of Melbourne

Read more https://theconversation.com/meet-5-marvellous-mammals-of-the-south-pacific-youve-probably-never-heard-of-209038

• Prev
• Next