Ethnozoology of Indonesian Cuscus (Phalangeridae): Current status and Perspective

Abstract

The marsupial family Phalangeridae is a monophyletic group that includes \(\ge\) 17 living species, all of which are partly or wholly arboreal omnivores or herbivores (Flannery et al., 1987). The Phalangeridae has the most extensive range of any Australasian family of marsupials and occurs in Australia, Tasmania, Papua New Guinea, and throughout island east of Wallace’s Line as far as the Solomon Islands (George 1987). The Indonesian island of Sulawesi from the northwestern limit of its distribution (Flannery et al 1987; George, 1987).

According to Petocz (1994), in Papua, there are five cuscus species: Phalanger orientalis (eastern cuscus), Phalanger gymnotis (the ground cuscus / large tooth cuscus), Spilocuscus maculatus (spotted cuscus, this name is revised to Spilocuscus rufoniger) and Phalanger vestitus (silk hair cuscus). These three species can also be found on the surrounded satelite islands in Papua such as Waigeo, Moor and Numfor. Further to species diversity, Menzies (1991), suggested that there is also S. papuensis (Waigeo cuscus, Waigeo island cuscus) which is an endemic species on Waigeo Island of Raja Ampat. Aplin and Helgen (2008) also described S. wilsoni (spotted cuscus Biak Island) - an endemic cuscus on the islands of Biak and Supiori.