Biak spotted cuscus
The blue-eyed spotted cuscus or Biak spotted cuscus is a species of marsupial in the family Phalangeridae. It is endemic to the islands of Biak and Supiori in the Cenderawasih Bay in West Papua of Indonesia. Only scientifically described in 2004, it appears to be very rare, likely due to hunting and habitat loss, and has consequently been rated as critically endangered by the IUCN. Recent surveys have failed to find any wild individuals. Unlike all other members of the genus Spilocuscus, this relatively small species has distinct pale blue eyes.
In zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
Te
TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
Altricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
B
starts withThe blue-eyed spotted cuscus is known to have a creamy white underbelly with a pale marbled coat with shades of brown, grey, and white. Unlike other cuscus species of the genus Spilocuscus, this species is relatively smaller in size and has distinct pale blue eyes. Another distinct feature the blue-eyed spotted cuscus has are prehensile tails. These tails are often used to grab or hold onto various things. For the blue-eyed spotted cuscus, they can use their tails to grab onto food like fruits and leaves, but they primarily use them as anchor to help hold its body up when hanging from branches and acting as an aid for tree climbing.
The blue-eyed cuscus can be found throughout the ecoregion in the Cenderawasih Bay in West Papua of Indonesia.This region is made up of the islands Biak, Supiori, and Numfor. Despite being endemic to the islands Biak and Supiori, the blue-eyed spotted cuscus have been spotted on the island of Numfor as pets. The blue-eyed spotted cuscus typically can be found in the treetops of the tropical rainforests found throughout the Supiori and Biak islands. Due to the rugged terrain found throughout the Supiori island, the island is better insulated from human foot traffic, allowing for more of the species population to flourish compared to the Biak island.
The major threats to the blue-eyed spotted cuscus include habitat loss, hunting, and being collected for the exotic pet trade by locals. Due to the rapid, ongoing deforestation happening on the islands these animals live on, the species is losing valuable resources it needs to survive (including shelter, food sources, and space). Due to how rare it is to come across one of these individuals, the blue-eyed spotted cuscus was only scientifically described in 2004 and has consequently been rated as critically endangered by the IUCN as of 2015. Recent surveys have failed to find any wild individuals from the Numfor island and most recently, the Biak island as well.
