Western Ring-tailed Possum
Pseudocheirus occidentalis
Conservation Status
Critically EndangeredMammalia · Diprotodontia · Pseudocheiridae
About
The western ringtail possum or ngwayir is a species of possum found in a small area of Southwest Australia. They are a cat-sized marsupial with a stocky build, dark greyish-brown fur, pale underparts and a long prehensile tail with a whitish tip. Ngwayir forage at night through the upper canopy of trees, feeding on young leaves, flowers and fruit, especially in groves of the weeping peppermint Agonis flexuosa. Breeding occurs mainly during the winter, the single juvenile emerging from the pouch after about three months. The population has declined by more than 95% since British settlement, due to clearing of habitat, fire and the introduction of the red fox Vulpes vulpes, and is classified as Critically Endangered. The population in most areas has catastrophically declined or become locally extinct, but strongholds remain in the urbanised areas near Busselton and Albany.
Fun Fact
Since colonial settlement it has undergone a substantial range contraction, up to 90 per cent of the predicted original range.
Quick Facts
Habitat
Found in three main areas; the Swan Coastal Plain, Southern Forests around Manjimup, and the South Coast between Walpole and Cheynes Beach.
Diet
Herbivore
Lifespan
To be updated
Threats
- Habitat Destruction
- Pollution
- Invasive Species
- Over-Collection
- Climate Change