A mountain pygmy possum climbing around the boulderfields Image taken from: http://theconversation.com/australian-endangered-species-mountain-pygmy-possum-13149
This interesting article on the Mountain Pygmy Possum caught my eye http://theconversation.com/australian-endangered-species-mountain-pygmy-possum-13149
The mountain pygmy possum, Burramys parvus, was once described by my physiology lecturer as “the cutest little animal”. Unfortunately it is a species which is highly vulnerable to extinction.
The mountain pygmy possum is one of five living species of pygmy possum. It is mainly ground-dwelling, inhabiting alpine and subalpine boulder-fields and rocky scree in south eastern Australia and it is the only Australian marsupial which hibernates for long periods during the winter.
First described in 1896 by Robert Broom from a Pleistocene fossil, this species was thought to be long extinct. Then in 1966 a living specimen was discovered in a ski lodge in Mount Hotham Victoria. Later surveys discovered a number of colonies across New South Wales and the Victorian Alps. Currently there are only three known populations and it is the only mammal that is completely restricted to the alpine and subalpine regions of south eastern Australia.
As a result of degradation, fragmentation and habitat loss, there are only a few patches of suitable habitat remaining for the mountain pygmy possum. Ski resort developments, roads and ski slope have fragmented the landscape; however the greatest threat to the mountain pygmy possum is climate change. Increases in temperature have caused significant changes to alpine areas and have affected vital food sources of the Mountain Pygmy Possum, such as the bogon moths.
In 2012, a national recovery plan was developed to ensure the survival of this species. Sanctuaries and captive breeding programs have also been established to maintain genetic diversity, insure against natural disaster and to try and gain a better understanding of the species and how it will adapt to climate change.
Although it is highly vulnerable, the mountain pygmy possum might be saved from extinction – recently there has been an increase in the population as a result of a number of factors including increased availability of food and water, pest management and increased genetic diversity through translocations.
Also recently there was an important discovery made in Kosciuszko National Park of a new population of mountain pygmy possums that live below the treeline, in an area which receives little snowfall. This population may play a key role in understanding how this species will adapt to future challenges.
The Mountain Pygmy Possum is just one of Australia’s unique species.
