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Possums

Lowland Ringtail Possums (Pseudochirulus canescens) of Coastal Papua Indonesia and Papua New Guinea

Beaches boast people to meet, places to go, and things to do. Their beauty brings in locals and visitors. So how do shy lowland ringtail possums thrive on New Guinea's busy coasts?

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Possums

Masked Ringtail Possums (Pseudochirulus larvatus) in Papua Indonesia and Papua New Guinea

Masks are amusing when donned for Carnival and parades. They can be dangerous when worn by assailants and robbers. A mask is endearing on New Guinea’s masked ringtail possums.

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Possums

Pygmy Ringtail Possums (Pseudochirulus mayeri) in Papua Indonesia and Papua New Guinea

The word pygmy comes from the ancient Greeks by way of classical Latin. It identifies the length from the elbow to the knuckles. That is about how long a pygmy ringtail possum is.

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Moss-Forest Painted Ringtail Possums (Pseudochirulus forbesi) in Bird's Tail Peninsula, New Guinea

Names are IDs in New Guinea. Bird’s Tail Peninsula ringtails get called moss-forest possums for living super-high up. They get named painted ringtails for looking super-varied.

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Weyland Ringtail Possums (Pseudochirulus caroli) in the Weyland Mountains of Papua, Indonesia

Animals can have strong senses of place. That happens when they narrowly define home. Weyland ringtail possums indeed have just one address: New Guinea's Weyland Mountains.

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Arfak Mountain Ringtail Possums (Pseudochirulus schlegeli) of the Vogelkop Peninsula, New Guinea

Lush, rugged headlands are good bets for wildlife-watching. New Guinea’s Vogelkop Peninsula has one-of-a-kind birds and butterflies. It also is home to Arfak ringtail possums.

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Reclusive Ringtail Possum (Pseudochirops coronatus): Green Marsupial of Indonesian New Guinea

Not all tropical forests are lush green. Silver-green dominates on forested mountain slopes. So it is a smart color for New Guinea’s shy, smart reclusive ringtail possum.

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D'Albertis' Silver Green Ringtail Possum (Pseudochirops albertisii) of New Guinea and Yapen Island

Silvery green beautifies the foliage of ornamentals and trees. It may be mesmerizing in amphibians, birds, fish, and insects. It will be unexpected in D’Albertis' ringtail possum.

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Coppery Ringtail Possums (Pseudochirops cupreus): Green Marsupials of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea

Science fact approaches science fiction. Consider near where Michael Rockefeller vanished on November 17, 1961. New Guinea really has coppery green-bodied, ring-tailed possums.

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Golden Green Plush-Coated Ringtail Possum (Pseudochirops corinnae) of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea

Golden green appears lush. It gilds electrum in early metal coins, Egyptian pyramid tops, and Nobel Prize medals. It identifies New Guinea’s golden plush-coated ringtail possum.

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Greater Glider Possums (Petauroides volans) in Coastal and Near-Coastal Eastern Australia

Australia’s greater gliders appear graceful in the air. They look good climbing all over tree branches and trunks. Their clumsiness on the ground makes them "sitting possums."

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Lemur-like Ringtail Possums (Hemibelideus lemuroides) in Northeast Queensland, Australia

Lemur-like ringtail mothers devote 7 months to raising young gliders. New generations nightly hone their skills. No lemuroid possum ever is anything but a crash lander.

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Cinereus Ringtail Possums (Pseudochirulus cinereus) of Daintree River in Queensland, Australia

Ghosts abhor the ground. They appear and disappear like grey floaters. The same can be said of Daintree River ringtail possums.

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Herbert River Ringtails (Pseudochirulus herbertensis): Iconic Possums of Queensland, Australia

Herbert River ringtails are Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service's icon. They have face and name recognition. It is easier to see their image than them in the flesh.

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Green Ringtail Possum (Pseudochirops archeri) of Northeastern Australia's Queensland Region

Green mammals are animals of a different color. Their most spectacular example is the green ringtail possum. The color works for eating figs in the high canopies of tall trees.

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Rock-Haunting Ringtail Possum (Petropseudes dahli) of Groote Eylandt and Northern Australia

Rock ringtail possums are not nest-building tree-dwellers. They enjoy life among large boulders and on rocky ledges. They hide by inserting just their heads in rocky crevices.

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Ngwayir (Pseudocheirus peregrinus occidentalis): Ringtail Possum of West Australia

Scientists argue over ringtail possums. Is a westerner a common ringtail or another species? While experts debate, locals know that ngwayirs by any name are still ngwayirs.

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Common Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) of Australia's Eastern Coasts and Islands

In Americanese, the word possum can apply to an opossum. In Australia, it cannot. One of the Land Down Under's most beautiful and beloved possums is the common ringtail.