The striped possum is most commonly found in New Guinea and several small islands including the Solomon Islands. In Australia, it lives in Australia, in tropical rainforests and eucalypt eucalypt woodland along the east coast of Cape York Peninsula and as far south as Townsville, but is otherwise uncommon and rarely seen elsewhere in Australia.
Like many species of wildlife in Australia – no-one knows how many there are / might be, since surveying the areas where they live – think rainforest – is next to impossible. Cameras on drones cannot get close enough, and solar senses only pick up body heat.
I came upon this lovely animal – he is a rescue and will never return to the wild – at Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre, run by Old national parks and wildlife service.
From Old Government pages:
Common name: striped possum
Scientific name: Dactylopsila trivirgata
Family: Petauridae
Conservation status: The striped possum is listed as Least Concern in Queensland (Nature Conservation Act 1992).
Description: The striped possum is hard to mistake, with its bold, skunk like appearance of striking black and white stripes along its body and a white tip to its tail. They have elongated slightly furred toes.
Habitat and distribution
The striped possum lives only in the upland and lowland forests of the Wet Tropics region of north Queensland from Mount Spec, near Townsville to Iron Range. It also Occurs in lowland New Guinea.
Life history and behaviour
The striped possum is a shy,solitary animal, venturing out at night to munch on flowers, fruits, beetle larvae and pollen. During the day, it rests on a bed of leaves inside a tree hollow or clump of ferns. In places with coconut palms, it’s not unusual to hear a commotion as the possum uses its chisel-like teeth to gnaw through leaves and bark in search of insects causing shreds of leaves and trunk to fall to the ground. It will also bite into dead branches or fallen logs to get at borers or grubs. Mating may occur from February to August and up to two young are born.
