MOUNTAIN PYGMY POSSUM

By Reed Cathcart 7B

Habitat

The Mountain Pygmy-Possum is the only Australian mammal that needs winter snow to survive. Unfortunately, snow sports and snow activities damage its habitat by compacting the snow.

What it looks like

The mountain pygmy possum is 45 grams in weight, 11 centimetres long, it is a mouse like animal and its tail is 14 centimetres long.

Diet

The Mountain Pygmy Possum eats insects (such as the Bogong Moth), fleshy fruits, nuts, nectar and seeds.

What Everybody Thought

Before 1966 everybody thought that Mountain Pigmy Possums were extinct because scientist could only find fossils but when a living specimen was discovered in a ski-hut on Mount Hotham they found that it wasn’t extinct.

Threats

Some Threats are extinction , habitat loss or destruction and cats and foxes.