Monday 25 April 2016

Papua New Guinea Trivia #1

Did you know that Cuscus is commonly found in Papua New Guinea?



Cuscus is a cute animal resembling that of either a monkey-like or possum in appearance. They vary in color but the most common I see in Port Moresby has a mixture of white, brown and orange fur. It is a marsupial and is a sub specie of possum but is considered distantly related to other species such as koalas, kangaroos and squirrels.

I'm not sure if they bite but I see some people carrying them around like tamed. Although a number are captured for trade, their species are not endangered at the moment. In fact, they are endemic in Papua New Guinea and the vastness of untapped jungles within offer refuge to quite a lot.

Cuscus feeds on fruits and leaves but they sometimes get their protein supplements from raiding egg nests and preying on small mammals. They are usually nocturnal and are slow-moving animals like sloth.




3 comments:

  1. I didn't know that Cuscus is commonly found in Papua New Guinea. Thanks for letting us know. This makes PNG tourist destination really cool!

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  2. Varieties of cuscus are also found in north-eastern tropical Australia, as it and New Guinea were once one continent, and on other islands in the region like Celebes and the Solomon Islands. They are a species of possum, the first marsupials.

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