Dactylopsila tater Laurie 1952

4.

Tate’s Striped Possum

Dactylopsila tate

French: Triok de Fergusson / German: Tate-Streifenbeutler / Spanish: Falangero rayado de Tate

Other common names: Fergusson Island Striped Possum, Tate's Triok

Taxonomy. Dactylopsila tater Laurie, 1952,

“ Mts. above Taibutu village, Faralulu district, West Fergusson Island, SE. New Guinea, 2,000-3,000 ft. ” (Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea).

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Fergusson I, D’Entrecasteaux Archipelago, off SE Papua New Guinea.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 17-21 cm, tail 26-29 cm; weight 252 g. This species has a short, sleek tail with a white tip that resembles that of the Long-fingered Striped Possum (D. palpator). Tate’s Striped Possum differs from the Long-fingered Striped Possum in lacking extremely elongate fourth finger of that species.

Habitat. All records are from primary tropical moist forest in mountains in west of the island, at elevations of 600-1000 m.

Food and Feeding. The diet is composed largely of insects and fruits.

On following pages: 5. Torresian Striped Possum (Dactylopsila trivirgata); 6. Leadbeater’s Possum (Gymnobelideus (Petaurus biacensis); 10. Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps); 11. Mahogany Glider (Petaurus gracilis); 12. Squirrel Glider leadbeateri); 7. Northern Glider (Petaurus abid)); 8. Yellow-bellied Glider (Petaurus australis); 9. Biak Glider (Petaurus norfolcensis).

Breeding. There is no information available for this species.

Activity patterns. Nocturnal and arboreal. During the day, the animals den in dry leaf nests in hollows.

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

Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List. This species is known only from Fergusson Island, off the east coast of Papua New Guinea. After its initial description, in 1952, several expeditions to the island failed to find it; in 1992, however, a single specimen was collected near Tutumvasaie Village, and a very small number have been obtained since then. The extent of its known range is less than 200 km?, all known individuals are in a single location in the west of the island, and there is a continuing decline in the extent and quality of its habitat. Field surveys are urgently needed in order to determine whether or notit occurs elsewhere on the island. Although the threats to this petaurid are not known,it is likely that they include loss of suitable habitat and loss of denning sites as a result of agricultural expansion.

Bibliography. Flannery (1994a, 1995b), Leary, Wright, Hamilton, Singadan, Menzies, Bonaccorso, Helgen, Seri & Allison (2008).