Mountain
Pygmy Possum
The Burramys Parvus! The Burramys Parvus (aka mountain pygmy possum) is an endangered species and nearly extinct. It is one of the extraordinary animals that only lives in the snowy mountains. What the pygmy possum looks like The mountain pygmy possum has a mouse like body with thick greyish brown and light brown stripes down its arm. From the head down it is 24cm, though the tail alone is 14cm. Mountain pygmy possums have long front teeth, good for cracking into nuts and seeds. It has flexible front legs, back feet good for gripping onto the rocks and under the feet are yellow and lumpy. The mountain pygmy possum is the largest of 5 types of pygmy possums, yet it only ways 45 grams and can easily fit into the palm of your hand. They also have very big brown-black eyes. Where the mountain pygmy possum lives The mountain pygmy possum lives in south eastern Australia in the snowy mountains, inhabiting alpine and subalpine boarder fields and rocky terrain. Unlike most possums it lives mostly on the ground . In NSW one of the bet breeding habitats was taken out by the development of a ski resort. This resulted in a big mass of land that possums could no longer breed in , nor live in. Mountain pygmy possums live only in the snowy mountains. They are used to the cold and the snow and rather the cold weather more than the hot weather. |
What the mountain pygmy possum eats The mountain pygmy possum mostly eats berries, seeds and nuts. seeds and nuts are no problem for these little guys though, their buzz saw teeth are great for cracking into them. They also eat rambling bramble, shrubs, daisy bushes, ribbony grass and the fruits of the mountain plum pine. But their favourite is the bogon moth. Mountain pygmy possums eat bogon moths because there are so many of them in the snowy mountains and they are full of protein. In autumn mountain pygmy possums often store up berries nuts and seeds so after 3 weeks of sleep they are all ready to go. Extra facts on the Mountain Pygmy Possum In 1896 a fossil of a mountain pygmy possum was found. at this time mountain pygmy possums were thought to be extinct. and the mountain pygmy possum was still thought to be extinct until the year 1966. The mountain pygmy possum is the only possum that hibernates, it sleeps for 3 weeks in the winter. It is also the only marsupial to hibernate during the winter. Like most possums the mountain pygmy possum is nocturnal . There is sadly only 2000 Mountain pygmy possums left in the wild. :(
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