Ailurops furvus (Miller & Hollister, 1922)

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2015, Phalangeridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 5 Monotremes and Marsupials, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 456-497 : 486

8.

Mountain Bear Cuscus

Ailurops furvus

French: Phalanger de Raven / German: Grof 3er Barenkuskus / Spanish: Cuscus ursino de montana

Taxonomy. Phalanger furvus Miller & Hollister, 1922 ,

“Rano Rano, Middle Celebes” (= Central Sulawesi, Sulawesi, Indonesia).

This species has often been classified as a subspecies of A. ursinus, but it is better recognized as a distinct species. No subspecies are recognized, but studies of distinctions between geographically isolated populations in central and south-western Sulawesi are needed. Monotypic.

Distribution. C & SW Sulawesi Mts.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 59-65 cm, tail 56-62 cm; weight c.10 kg. The Mountain Bear Cuscusis the largest species of Ailurops and the heaviest phalangerid. It is similar in appearance to the Common Bear Cuscus (A. ursinus), but dorsal pelage is longer and much more blackish, with ears more hidden in fur and much reduced yellowish highlighting in pelage and deeper orange highlights on face and rump. Skull of the Mountain Bear Cuscus is larger than other species of Ailurops , with more massive teeth, broader rostrum, longer anterior palatal foramina, more robust mandibular processes, and variable number of unicuspids (one or two compared to one in the Talaud Bear Cuscus, A. melanotis, and two in the Common Bear Cuscus) in the diastema between incisor and large premolar.

Habitat. Montane forests at elevations of ¢.800 m to at least 2000 m. The Mountain Bear Cuscus occurs in the same geographical regions as the Common Bear Cuscus but generally occurs in forests situated at higher elevations. Whether the two species occur sympatrically within a particular elevational band remains unknown.

Food and Feeding. There is no information available for this species.

Breeding. There is no specific information available for this species, but the Mountain Bear Cuscus produces one offspring at a time.

Activity patterns. There is no information available for this species.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no information available for this species.

Status and Conservation. The Mountain Bear Cuscus has not been classified on The IUCN Red List because earlier taxonomies (although not formally the IUCN) consider it a subspecies of the Common Bear Cuscus—itself classified as Vulnerable. The Mountain Bear Cuscus, endemic to Indonesia, is known by museum specimens collected from mountains in the central core of Sulawesi and the mountains of far south-western Sulawesi. The full extent of its distribution is not yet well understood. Hunting for food and deforestation are likely major threats to the Mountain Bear Cuscus.

Bibliography. Flannery (1994a), Miller & Hollister (1922).

Figures

1. Common Brush-tailed Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), 2. Coppery Brush-tailed Possum (Trichosurus johnstonii), 3. Short-eared Brush-tailed Possum (Trichosurus caninus), 4. Mountain Brush-tailed Possum (Trichosurus cunningham), 5. Scaly-tailed Possum (Wyulda squamicaudata), 6. Common Bear Cuscus (Aulurops ursinus), 7. Talaud Bear Cuscus (Aulurops melanotis), 8. Mountain Bear Cuscus (Aulurops furvus), 9. Small Sulawesi Cuscus (Strigocuscus celebensis), 10. Small Sangihe Cuscus (Strigocuscus sangirensis)

Distribution. C & SW Sulawesi Mts.