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

A 0.98-inch (25-millimeter) skin fold along the left and right sides of the body aids lemur-like ringtail possums in braving short distances between the branch of one tree and that of another. It allows the lemur-like glider to cover 6.56 – 9.84 feet (2 – 3 meters) while keeping the body flat, all four limbs outstretched, and the prehensile, ring-curling-tipped tail working as a rudder. It assists the tail in steering the lemur-like possum to the proper landing site. But it cannot guide the lemur-like ringtail to a soundless landing. The progress of the lemur-like ringtail possum through forages and forays does not involve stealth. It leaves a noisy trail of crash landings and heavy sounds throughout the night.

But gliding does not count among the two physical traits that impressed the lemur-like ringtail possum’s first official describer and identifier. The honor of creating a taxonomic niche for the lemur-like possum goes to Robert Collett (December 2, 1842 – January 27, 1913), whose book Norges pattedyr (Norway’s Mammals) inspired Manchester-born English zoologist Charles Sutherland Elton’s (March 29, 1900 – May 1, 1991) concerns over fluctuating animal populations and twentieth- and twenty-first century research into the impacts on fauna and flora of aggressive native and introduced invasive animals and plants. It is the configuration of the spider web-like skin fold securing each hind paw’s digits and of the spirit-like eyes reminiscent of lemurs that prompted Robert’s categorization Phalangista lemuroides.

Lemur-like ringtails currently answer to the binomial (“two-name”) designation Hemibelideus lemuroides. The change in genus attributes importance to the possum’s role as one of the world’s gliders since the name combines the ancient Greek words hemi (“half”) and belideus (“dart, javelin”). But lemur-like ringtails continue with the common names which they always have held:

• Brush-tipped ring-tailed possum;
• Brushy-tailed ringtail possum;
• Lemur possum;
• Lemuroid possum;
• Lemuroid ringtail.

The names designate the hallmark features of Daintree ringtails:

• A full tail ending in a ring-curled tip;
• Lemur-like eyes.

But the Daintree River ringtail (Pseudochirulus cinereus) also has lemur-like looks. All ringtail possums have ring-curling tail tips. So it is the fullness of the tail that is unique to lemur-like possums.

Lemur-like possum tail tips and undersides accommodate hairless, white friction pads. The lemur-like possum’s lush, subtly-tapered tail assumes the stubbiest configuration of all ringtails. It continues the body’s chocolate brown-colored, dense, long, woolly-soft fur. The upper coloring contrasts with:

• Black paws;
• Dark brown limbs;
• Gray patches on the red-brown head and the shoulders;
• Pale yellow under-sides.

It emphasizes the lemur possum’s:

• Big, forward-facing, rounded, white-ringed eyes whose eyeshine is silvery in pre-adults and uniquely yellow in adults;
• Curving, long, sharp claws;
• Dog-like, short muzzle;
• Rounded, small ears.  

Lemur-like ringtails have 2 digits opposable to 3 others on each front paw and 1 hallux (“big toe”) opposable to 2 sets of 2 fused digits on each rear paw.

Digital opposability accounts for lemuroid mobility 52.5+ feet (16+ meters) above-ground within 197.68+-acre (80+-hectare) home ranges from Ingham northward to:

• Cairns Highlands, at 1,476.38+ feet (450+ meters);
• West of Mossman, at 3,608.92+ feet (1,100+ meters).

Lemuroids therefore adapt to:

• Closely-spaced, upper canopies in slow-growing tall trees;
• Cooler, loftier, more humid elevations.

They favor the innermost cores of the Atherton and Mount Carbine Tablelands’ mature, primary cloud and upland tropical rainforests. They find old, slow-growing trees in whose hollows they establish dens within extended-family communities. Until daybreak, they form nocturnal octets for:

• Brown Bollywood (Litsea leefeana) buds and flowers;
• Brown quandong (Elaeocarpus coorangooloo, Elaeocarpus ruminatus) and Queensland maple (Flindersia brayleyana) low-fiber leaves;
• Yellow walnut (Beilschmiedia bancroftii) seed coverings.

Everything accedes to family sustainability. Breeding months are June to November. In early August, mothers-to-be deliver 1 newborn to 6 -7 pouch-confined months. They get help from monogamously-committed fathers during the pre-adult’s 6 back-riding months, October/November to April. Pre-adults keep close to home despite achieving:

• Independence at 9 months;
• Sexual maturity at 2 years.

They lose their high-pitched, hissing, squeaking keening vocalizations before maturing to:

• Dental formulas of 6 incisors, 2 canines, 6 premolars, and 8 molars in upper jaws and 4 incisors, 6 premolars, and 8 molars in lower jaws;
• Head-and-body lengths of 11.81 – 14.96 inches (30 – 38 centimeters);
• Tail lengths of 11.81 – 13.78 inches (30 – 35 centimeters);
• Weights of 28.22 – 44.8 ounces (800 – 1,270 grams).

Lemur-like habitats benefit from northeastern Australia’s Wet Tropics designation under United Nations Economic and Social Council-administered World Heritage programming. The status defends 3,451.75 square miles (8,940 square kilometers) against agro-industry. It does not remove habitat-fragmenting, specially-designed corridors, power-lines, and roads. It does not stymy:

• Globally-warming climate change;
• Predatory carpet pythons (Morelia spilota) and rufous owls (Ninox rufa).

With estimated 5-year lifespans, lemuroids exhibit uniform reactions to threats, by:

• Expiring when temperatures reach 57.2 – 60.8°F (14 – 16°C) or 80.6 – 86°F (27°C).
• Rubbing scent-gland secretions on their bodies and -- with offspring in the middle -- standing back-to-back to die.

It is a tragically brave extinction if Mount Carbine’s orange-tinged, white-bodied lemuroid ringtail morphs really are unfindable since 2005.

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Distribution data from IUCN Red List: Chermundy/IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, species assessors and the authors of the spatial data, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lemur-like_Ringtail_Possum_area.png

Fotograf / Photographer: Robert Collett (1842-1913): Nasjonalbiblioteket (National Library of Norway), No known copyright restrictions, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/national_library_of_norway/6981537427/

Proceedings of the Scientific Meetings of the Zoological Society of London for the Year 1884 (May 20), Plate XXXI, between pages 380-381: Public Domain, via Biodiversity Heritage Library @ https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/28690273; Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PhalangistaLemuroidesSmit.jpg

Lemur-like Ringtail Possum, near Mareeba in Queensland: Wildlife Explorer @ Picasa Web Albums, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hemibelideus_lemuroides_-Queensland-8.jpg

north Brisbane, south east Queensland: Tatiana Gerus [Tatters:)], CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/62938898@N00/4440064627/

Figure 5, page 386: Public Domain, via Biodiversity Heritage Library @ https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/28690281

Figure 6, page 387: Public Domain, via Biodiversity Heritage Library @ https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/28690282

Territory Wildlife Park, Berry Springs, "Top End," Northern Territory: Andy Tyler (andy_tyler), CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/68237153@N00/7241948100

Millaa Millaa Lookout (aka Gentle Annie Lookout), McHugh Road, Atherton Tableland, Far North Queensland: Mike Lehmann, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AthertonTableland.jpg

Millaa Millaa Falls, southern limits of Atherton Tableland: Boris Rüping (Schleimpilz), CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Milla_milla_fall.jpg

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