Telefomin cuscus
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Scientific classification 
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| Template:Taxon infoTemplate:Taxon italics Flannery, 1987
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| Telefomin cuscus range | |
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The Telefomin cuscus (Phalanger matanim) is a critically endangered possum found on New Guinea. It is named after the Telefol ethnic group, who hunted the animal long before it was identified scientifically by the Australian zoologist Tim Flannery.
Habitat
This cuscus has been found in the Telefomin and Tifalmin regions of Papua New Guinea. It is believed to inhabit an extremely restricted range within the oak forests of a single valley, at elevations between 1,500 and 2,000 m (4,900 and 6,600 ft), along the Nong River Valley north of Telefomin in central Papua New Guinea. Its range may potentially extend further northeast or west of the currently known collection sites. This only confirmed habitat area was largely devastated by a fire in 1998, which resulted from drought conditions during an El Niño event.[2]
Status
After 1997's drought, extremely cold weather ("bitter frosts") which killed the trees, and resulting wildfires, the species' habitat forests were destroyed, which Flannery believes might have resulted in the species' extinction.
In 2022, British amateur naturalist Michael Smith claimed he had found various Telefomin cuscus being eaten by a local tribe. He confirmed it to be the once-thought-extinct species by collecting photographs and measurements of their skulls, indicating that this species is still surviving in the wild.[3][4][5]
References
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Groves, C. P. (2005). Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 47. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. OCLC 62265494.
- ^ a b Template:Cite iucn
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Cosic, M. (March 4, 2023). "Possum feared extinct discovered being cooked on a hungry family's BBQ". Mirror. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Smith, Michael; Weston, Phoebe (2024-01-10). "I discovered a tree kangaroo that had only been seen once – by the man who shot it in 1928". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-12-17.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Sweetnam, James (2023-03-04). "Brit tourist baffles expert by discovering three species thought to be extinct". Daily Star. Retrieved 2025-12-17.
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