Mountain Pygmy-possum

Victorian Conservation Status: Endangered

Ski resort development may destroy pygmy-possum habitat. A study at Mt Buller showed that ski resorts have a huge negative impact on genetic diversity in the possums.

Climate change may have a devastating impact on many alpine plants and animals as the environment warms and less snow falls. A major fire in 2003 burnt much of the Victorian habitat, and predation by introduced cats and foxes is another serious concern.

Did you know?

Mountain Pygmy-possums

• hibernate under a cover of snow
• are very long-lived; females can live for over 12 years
• were thought extinct until rediscovered in a ski lodge in 1966
• are omnivores, they eat Bogong Moths, seeds and fruits
• weigh 40–45 g and have a length of 11 cm and tail length 14 cm

Where they live

Mountain Pygmy-possums are found in alpine and subalpine regions above 1400 m on Mt Buller and the Bogong High Plains in Victoria, and Mt Kosciuszko in New South Wales. They inhabit rocky alpine and subalpine areas where Mountain Plum-pines grow.

Amazing Mountain Pygmy-possums

Mountain Pygmy-possums are tiny marsupials not much bigger than mice. They have thick grey fur, a long prehensile tail, and nimble feet for grasping and climbing. They are nocturnal and secretive.

First described in the 1890s from fossil bones, they were believed to be extinct until 1966 when a live possum was found in a ski lodge. The entire range is only about ten square kilometres and in 2008, total numbers were estimated at 1700 adult females and 550 adult males.

In the brief warm months these animals gorge on Bogong Moths, seeds and fruits to build up reserves of fat. They can double their weight during this time of plenty. They also store nuts and seeds to eat during the freezing winter.

Mountain Pygmy-possums hibernate for up to seven months, curled up in nests two to four metres under the snow. During this time they drop their temperature from 35°C to around 2°C. They wake occasionally to nibble on their stored food.

Males hibernate in slightly warmer locations and rouse from hibernation before females. They scurry between boulders seeking females for mating in October or November. The females carry their four babies in a pouch until they are too large, then leave them in the nest for another month until they are weaned.

Gang-gang Cockatoos begin breeding at four years of age. This late start limits the rate at which populations can build up, which is another conservation concern. Males and females pair for life and will often return to the same nesting tree each year. Breeding takes place between October and January; females lay up to 3 eggs in tree-hollow nests, and both parents incubate and rear the young. Several pairs may nest close together, and their young aggregate in ‘creches’ while their parents are out foraging.

These birds migrate seasonally; they spend summers in high-altitude areas, moving to warmer lowland areas in winter. While they can adapt to new food sources such as pine nuts from introduced trees, they need old-growth forests with hollow trees for nesting.