Sulawesi bear cuscus
The Sulawesi bear cuscus, also known as the Sulawesi bear phalanger (Ailurops ursinus), is a species of arboreal marsupial in the family Phalangeridae that is endemic to Sulawesi and nearby islands in Indonesia. It lives in tropical moist lowland forest at elevations up to 600 m (2,000 ft) and is diurnal, folivorous and often found in pairs. A. ursinus is threatened by hunting, collection for the pet trade and deforestation.
| Sulawesi bear cuscus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
| Order: | Diprotodontia |
| Family: | Phalangeridae |
| Genus: | Ailurops |
| Species: | A. ursinus |
| Binomial name | |
| Ailurops ursinus (Temminck, 1824) | |
| Sulawesi bear cuscus range | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Phalanger ursinus (Temminck, 1824) | |
When approached, their automatic reaction is to wrap their tail around a nearby branch and switch from tripedal and bipedal posture with their foreleg raised. While doing these movements, they're constantly making short, harsh sounds.
Bear cuscuses can feed on the young leaves of up to 31 different species of plants varying from trees, lianas, and mistletoes. Feeding only amounts to about 5% of their daily activity, compared to about 63% spent on resting.