Printed on recycled card stock.
A6 Gift card
 
Print from origonal work of
THE EASTERN PIGMY POSSUM
Cercartetus nanus
 
Status - Vulnerable
 
The Eastern Pygmy Possum inhabits heathland, Banksia scrub and eucalypt forests along the south-east coast of Australia, from south-eastern Queensland to far south-eastern South Australia. Populations also occur west of the Great Dividing Range at Pilliga Forest in NSW, and in Tasmania.
 
The Eastern Pygmy Possum is tiny, weighing less than 45 grams and growing to just over 10 cm in length. It has a short snout and large round ears. Its fur is grey-brown above with whitish underparts, and it has a long, sparsely-furred tail (also about 10 cm) which is prehensile (able to wrap around twigs and branches) providing extra support when it is moving through the foliage.The Eastern Pygmy Possum is nocturnal, emerging at night to feed on nectar and pollen from flowering plants such as banksias and eucalypts, as well as some insects. It is an important pollinator, transferring pollen between flowers as it feeds. Eastern Pygmy Possums construct small spherical nests out of bark, often in tree hollows or beneath a loose layer of bark, where they shelter during the day. In cold conditions, they enter a state of torpor to conserve energy.