Ailurops ursina (Termminck, 1824)

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 : 485

6.

Common Bear Cuscus

Aulurops ursinus

French: Phalanger ursin / German: Barenkuskus / Spanish: Cuscus ursino comun

Other common names: Large Celebes Cuscus, Sulawesi Bear Cuscus

Taxonomy. Phalangista ursina Temminck, 1824 ,

“ septentrionalis de I'ile Célebes [= north of Celebes Island],” Menado , North Sulawesi, Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Three subspecies are recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

A.u.wrsinusTemminck,1824—lowlandsofSulawesiandtheadjacentLembeh,Muna,andButonIs.

A.u.flavissimusFeiler,1977—PelengIandpossiblyadjacentBanggaiI,offWSulawesi.

A. u. togianus Tate, 1945 — Togian (= Togean) Is, off C Sulawesi.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 47-57 cm,tail 52-58 cm; weight 5-8 kg. The Common Bear Cuscusis large with long limbs and blackish fur, usually with yellow tips. Muzzle is stout and thinly furred. It is larger and less distinctly yellow in overall pelage color than the Talaud Bear Cuscus (A. melanotis), and it is smaller and less distinctly blackish in overall pelage color than in the Mountain Bear Cuscus (A. furvus). Skull and molars of the Common Bear Cuscus are more robust than in the Talaud Bear Cuscus butless so than in the Mountain Bear Cuscus. There are two lower unicuspids in the diastema between incisor and large premolar (one in the Talaud Bear Cuscus, and one or two in the Mountain Bear Cuscus).

Habitat. Undisturbed lowland moist forests from sea level to elevations of ¢.1000 m. The Common Bear Cuscus does not readily use disturbed habitats, and thus it is not usually found in gardens or plantations.

Food and Feeding. The Common Bear Cuscus is largely folivorous, with diet consisting of a variety of leaves, with preference for young leaves. Like many other arboreal folivores,it spends much of its day resting to digest. More than 30 species of plants are recorded in the diet of the Common Bear Cuscus, including 26 identified trees and lianas from 17 families, and five unidentified mistletoes. The diet appears to be most influenced by availability of young leaves, with food plant genera including Alstonia , Urceola , and Marsdenia (all Apocynaceae ); Dracontomelon and Koodersiodendron (both Anacardiaceae ); Cananga (Annonaceae) ; Garuga (Burseraceae) ; Diospyros (Ebenaceae) ; Macaranga (Euphorbiaceae) ; Derris (Fabaceae) ; Homalium (Salicaceae) ; Melia (Meliaceae) ; Artocarpus and Ficus (both Moraceae ); Eugenia and Syzygium (both Myrtaceae ); Palaquium (Sapotaceae) ; Pterospermum (Malvaceae) ; and Vitex (Lamiaceae) .

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

Activity patterns. The Common Bear Cuscus is largely diurnal and spends most time in the tree canopy. Field observations indicate thatit spends 63-4% of the day resting (and digesting) and only 5-6% of the day feeding.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. One study of the Common Bear Cuscus estimated density at 1 pair/4 ha. It has been reported to be most abundant at c¢.400 m in elevation, being much less common at sea level and above 600 m in elevation. Limited observations also suggest that Common Bear Cuscuses can often be found in pairs.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. The Common Bear Cuscus is threatened by habitat loss from clearing of forest for small-scale agriculture and large-scale logging. It is also heavily hunted by local people for food and collected for the pet trade. Although it may remain common in suitable habitat when not actively hunted, it has probably declined considerably in most areas. From 1979 to 1994, there was an estimated 95% population decline of the Common Bear Cuscus in Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve in north-eastern Sulawesi due to hunting, and this decline likely also reflected trends elsewhere in Sulawesi. This decline is accelerating due to hunting and the pet trade.

Bibliography. Dwiyahreni et al. (1999), Feiler (1977 1990), Flannery (1994a, 1995b), Heinsohn (2001), O'Brien & Kinnaird (1996), Salas, Dickman, Helgen & Flannery (2008), Tate (1945b), Whitten et al. (1987).

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)

Subspecies and Distribution. A.u.wrsinusTemminck,1824—lowlandsofSulawesiandtheadjacentLembeh,Muna,andButonIs. A.u.flavissimusFeiler,1977—PelengIandpossiblyadjacentBanggaiI,offWSulawesi. A. u. togianus Tate, 1945 — Togian (= Togean) Is, off C Sulawesi.