Dactylopsila trivirgata Gray, 1858

Common Name

This species, Dactylopsila trivirgata, is commonly known as the striped possum.

Appearance

It has a black and white appearance resembling a squirrel.

Behavioral Traits

It is a solitary, mostly nocturnal, arboreal marsupial that builds nests in tree branches.

Body Measurements

Its approximate body length is 263 mm, its tail is around 325 mm long, and its average weight is 423 g.

Tail Structure

The striped possum has a prehensile tail.

Finger Morphology

Its fourth finger is elongated compared to its other fingers, similar to the third finger of the aye-aye, a lemur native to Malagasy rainforests.

Elongated Finger Function

This elongated finger is used to pull beetles and caterpillars out of tree bark, leading the species to be called a "mammalian woodpecker".

Primary Diet

The main diet of the striped possum is wood-boring insect larvae.

Larvae Extraction Method

To get these larvae, it rips open tree bark with its powerful incisor teeth, then probes rotten branches with its elongated fourth finger to expose the insects.

Larvae Detection

It detects larvae by rapidly drumming along branches with the toes of its forefoot.

Fourth Finger Nail Adaptation

The fourth finger has an unusual hooked nail that it uses to pull insects out of cracks.

Supplementary Food Sources

The striped possum also eats leaves, fruits, and small vertebrates.

Defensive and Behavioral Traits

It produces a very powerful, unpleasant smell, and it is noisy and known to growl.

Diurnal Sleeping Habits

During the day, it curls up to sleep on an exposed branch.

Reproduction

Female striped possums have two teats in their pouch and can give birth to up to two young, though little is known about this species' breeding habits.

Detection Method

It is most easily detected by the sound of its chewing and drinking as it moves through the forest.

Research Status

The striped possum is one of the least studied and understood marsupials.

Conservation Status

The species is not considered to be threatened.

Geographic Range and Habitat

Its range includes New Guinea, several nearby small islands including the Solomon Islands, and the east coast of Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, Australia, where it lives in rainforests and eucalypt woodland as far south as Townsville.

Australian Population Status

In Australia, the species is uncommon and rarely seen.