Eastern Pygmy-possum - profile

Indicative distribution

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Key:

known

predicted

The areas shown in pink and/purple are the sub-regions where the species or community is known or predicted to occur. They may not occur thoughout the sub-region but may be restricted to certain areas. ( click here to see geographic restrictions). The information presented in this map is only indicative and may contain errors and omissions.

Scientific name: Cercartetus nanus

Conservation status in NSW: Vulnerable

Commonwealth status: Not listed

Gazetted date: 08 Jun 2001

Profile last updated: 17 Mar 2022

Description

Eastern Pygmy-possums are tiny (15 to 43 grams) active climbers, with almost bare, prehensile (capable of curling and gripping) tails, and big, forward-pointing ears. They are light-brown above and white below. Adults have a head and body length between 70 - 110 mm and a tail length between 75 - 105 mm.

Distribution

The Eastern Pygmy-possum is found in south-eastern Australia, from southern Queensland to eastern South Australia and in Tasmania. In NSW it extends from the coast inland as far as the Pilliga, Dubbo, Parkes and Wagga Wagga on the western slopes.

Habitat and ecology

Found in a broad range of habitats from rainforest through sclerophyll (including Box-Ironbark) forest and woodland to heath, but in most areas woodlands and heath appear to be preferred, except in north-eastern NSW where they are most frequently encountered in rainforest. They may occupy small patches of vegetation in fragmented landscapes and although the species prefers habitat with a rich shrub understory, they are known to occur in grassy woodlands and the presence of Eucalypts alone is sufficient to support populations in low densities.
Feeds largely on nectar and pollen collected from banksias, eucalypts and bottlebrushes; an important pollinator of heathland plants such as banksias; soft fruits are eaten when flowers are unavailable.
Also feeds on insects throughout the year; this feed source may be more important in habitats where flowers are less abundant such as wet forests.
Shelters in tree hollows, rotten stumps, holes in the ground, abandoned bird-nests, Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) dreys or thickets of vegetation, (e.g. grass-tree skirts); nest-building appears to be restricted to breeding females; tree hollows are favoured but spherical nests have been found under the bark of eucalypts and in shredded bark in tree forks.
Appear to be mainly solitary, each individual using several nests, with males having non-exclusive home-ranges of about 0.68 hectares and females about 0.35 hectares.
Young can be born whenever food sources are available, however most births occur between late spring and early autumn.
Agile climbers, but can be caught on the ground in traps, pitfalls or postholes; generally nocturnal.
Frequently spends time in torpor especially in winter, with body curled, ears folded and internal temperature close to the surroundings.

Regional distribution and habitat

Click on a region below to view detailed distribution, habitat and vegetation information.

Threats

Loss and fragmentation habitat through land-clearing for agriculture, forestry and urban development.
Changed fire regimes that affect the abundance of flowering proteaceous and myrtaceous shrubs, particularly banksias.
Declining shrub diversity in forests and woodlands due to overgrazing by stock and rabbits.
Predation from cats and foxes.
Loss of nest sites due to removal of firewood.
Mortality on roads through habitat and movement areas.
Predation from dogs.
Insufficient understanding of distribution and/or abundance.

Recovery strategies

A targeted strategy for managing this species has been developed under the Saving Our Species program; click here for details. For more information on the Saving Our Species program click here

Activities to assist this species

Control feral predators and rabbits.
Avoid frequent burning of habitat.
Protect habitat in proposed development areas and retain linkages across the broader landscape .
Avoid overgrazing by stock and fire wood collection in areas of heathy understorey vegetation.
Regenerate and replant local feed sources.

Information sources

Bilney, R.J., Cooke, R. and White, J.G. (2010) Underestimated and severe: Small mammal decline from the forests of south-eastern Australia since European settlement, as revealed by a top-order predator. Biological Conservation 143(1): 52–59
Bladon R.V., Dickman C.R., and Hume I.D. (2002) Effects of habitat fragmentation on the demography, movements and social organisation of the eastern pygmy-possum (Cercartetus nanus) in northern NSW. Wildlife Research 29(1): 105-116
Bowen, M. and Goldingay, R. (2000) Distribution and status of the eastern pygmy-possum (Cercartetus nanus) in NSW. Australian Mammalogy 21:153-164
Department of Environment and Climate Change (NSW) (2007) Terrestrial Vertebrate Fauna of the Greater Southern Sydney Region. Volume 2: Fauna of Conservation Concern including priority pest species. (DECC NSW, Hurstville)
Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water NSW (2010) Border Ranges Rainforest Biodiversity Management Plan - NSW & Queensland. (DECCW NSW, Sydney)
Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water NSW (2010) Northern Rivers Regional Biodiversity Management Plan.
Goldingay, R.L. (2011) Characteristics of tree hollows used by Australian arboreal and scansorial mammals. Australian Journal of Zoology 59(5): 277-294.
Harris, J.M. (2008) Cercartetus nanus (Diprotodontia: Burramyidae). Mammalian Species Number 815: 1–10
Harris, J.M. (2010) The natural history, conservation status and ecology of the eastern pygmy-possum (Cercartetus nanus). PhD thesis, Southern Cross University, Lismore.
Harris, J.M. and Goldingay, R.L. (2005) Detection of the eastern pygmy-possum Cercartetus nanus (Marsupialia: Burramyidae) at Barren Grounds Nature Reserve, New South Wales. Australian Mammalogy 27(1): 85-88
Harris, J.M., Goldingay, R.L., Broome, L., Craven, P. and Maloney, K.S. (2007) Aspects of the ecology of the eastern pygmy-possum Cercartetus nanus at Jervis Bay, New South Wales. Australian Mammalogy 29(1): 39 - 46
Law, B., Chidel, M. and Britton, A. (2013) High predation risk for a small mammal: the eastern pygmy-possum (Cercartetus nanus). Australian Mammalogy
Menkhorst, P.W. (1995) Eastern Pygmy-possum. Pp. 101-2 in Menkhorst, P.W (ed.) The Mammals of Victoria: distribution, ecology and conservation. (Oxford University Press, Melbourne)
Murray Catchment Management Authority and Office of Environment and Heritage (2012) New South Wales Murray Biodiversity Management Plan: A guide to terrestrial biodiversity investment priorities in the central and eastern NSW Murray catchment. (Murray CMA, Albury)
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (2002) Fauna of the Illawarra Escarpment, Coastal Plain and Plateau. Wollongong Local Government Area Bioregional Assessment (Part II). (NSW NPWS, Hurstville)
NSW Scientific Committee (2001) Eastern pygmy-possum - Vulnerable species determination - final.
Rueegger, N.N., Goldingay, R.L. and Brookes, L.O. (2013) Does nest box design influence use by the eastern pygmy-possum?Australian Journal of Zoology
Tulloch, A.I. and Dickman, C.R. (2006) Floristic and structural components of habitat use by the eastern pygmy-possum (Cercartetus nanus) in burnt and unburnt habitats. Wildlife Research 33(8): 627–637
Turner, J.M., Körtner, G., Warnecke, L. and Geiser, F. (2012) Summer and winter torpor use by a free-ranging marsupial. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology 162(3): 274–280
Ward, S.J. (1990) Life History of the Eastern Pygmy-possum Cercartetus nanus (Burramyidae : Marsupialia), in South-eastern Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 38(3): 287-304
Ward, S.J. and Turner, V. (2008) Eastern Pygmy-possum Cercartetus nanus (Desmarest, 1818). Pp. 219-221 in Van Dyck, S. and Strahan, S. (eds.) The Mammals of Australia. Third Edition. (Reed New Holland, Sydney).

IBRA Bioregion	IBRA Subregion	Known or predicted	Geographic restrictions region

Australian Alps	Snowy Mountains	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Liverpool Plains	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Liverpool Range	Predicted	None
Brigalow Belt South	Northern Basalts	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Pilliga	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Pilliga Outwash	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Talbragar Valley	Predicted	None
Nandewar	Kaputar	Predicted	None
Nandewar	Peel	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Armidale Plateau	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Binghi Plateau	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Eastern Nandewars	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Ebor Basalts	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Glenn Innes-Guyra Basalts	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Nightcap	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Northeast Forest Lands	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Round Mountain	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Stanthorpe Plateau	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Tenterfield Plateau	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Walcha Plateau	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Wongwibinda Plateau	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Barrington	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Carrai Plateau	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Cataract	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Chaelundi	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Coffs Coast and Escarpment	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Comboyne Plateau	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Dalmorton	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Ellerston	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Guy Fawkes	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Karuah Manning	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Macleay Gorges	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Macleay Hastings	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Mummel Escarpment	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Rocky River Gorge	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Tomalla	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Upper Hunter	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Upper Manning	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Washpool	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Yuraygir	Known	None
NSW South Western Slopes	Capertee Valley	Predicted	None
NSW South Western Slopes	Inland Slopes	Known	None
NSW South Western Slopes	Lower Slopes	Predicted	None
Ocean	Twofold Shelf	Known	None
Other State	Jervis Bay Territory	Known	None
Other State	QLD	Known	None
South East Corner	Bateman	Known	None
South East Corner	East Gippsland Lowlands	Known	None
South East Corner	South East Coastal Ranges	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Bathurst	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Bondo	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Bungonia	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Capertee Uplands	Predicted	None
South Eastern Highlands	Crookwell	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Hill End	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Kanangra	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Kybeyan-Gourock	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Monaro	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Murrumbateman	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Oberon	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Orange	Predicted	None
South Eastern Queensland	Burringbar-Conondale Ranges	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Clarence Lowlands	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Clarence Sandstones	Predicted	None
South Eastern Queensland	Scenic Rim	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Sunshine Coast-Gold Coast Lowlands	Predicted	None
South Eastern Queensland	Woodenbong	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Burragorang	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Cumberland	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Ettrema	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Hunter	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Illawarra	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Jervis	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Kerrabee	Predicted	None
Sydney Basin	Moss Vale	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Pittwater	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Sydney Cataract	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Wollemi	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Wyong	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Yengo	Known	None

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