Common Spotted Cuscus

Quick Take

• The cuscus has eyes that look more like a snake's than a mammal's, and there is a specific reason why this is the case. See the vertical pupils →
• Male and female cuscuses look so different they could be mistaken for entirely different animals. Explore sexual dimorphism →
• Newborn joeys face a brutal test the moment they're born, and not all of them survive it. Follow the joey's journey →
• This marsupial uses two completely different methods to warn rivals away from its territory, and neither of those methods involves sound. Discover territorial behavior →

The common spotted cuscus is a large possum that lives in the tropical lowland forests in New Guinea. This animal is a herbivore with a diet of different types of leaves. Females have a pouch for carrying their young, like a kangaroo. The pronunciation of cuscus sounds like cuss-cuss. This animal lives up to 11 years in the wild.

5 Incredible Cuscus Facts

• There are 26 species of these marsupials.
• The cuscus can live up to 11 years in the wild.
• Because this animal eats a diet of leaves, it is sometimes called a folivore.
• Predators of these animals include eagles, pythons, and humans.
• These marsupials are 14 to 26 inches in length.

Evolution And Origin

The common spotted cuscus is a species of marsupial in the Phalangeridae family. The Phalangeridae is traced back to the Miocene era, having originated in the rainforests of Australia. When land masses began to separate, cuscuses began to migrate from Australia to new regions, including New Guinea, and they were further divided into additional groups, which consist of Ailurops and Strigocuscus in one grouping and Phalanger and Spilocuscus in the second grouping.

Classification and Scientific Name

Spilocuscus maculatus is the scientific name for the common spotted cuscus. The word maculatus is Latin, meaning spotted, while Spilocuscus is the genus of this animal. Another name for this animal is white cuscus. It belongs to the Phalangeridae family and the class Mammalia.

Appearance And Behavior

The male common spotted cuscus has white or brown fur with splotches on its back, while females have gray or white fur without any spots.

This animal weighs from 3.3 to 13.2 pounds. Their body length ranges from 20 to 22 inches. A 13-pound cuscus weighs the same as a gallon can of paint. A 21-inch-long animal is equal in length to one and a half bowling pins.

This marsupial’s tail, which is furred at the base and bare toward the tip, measures roughly 12 to 28 inches long. The animal uses its tail to grasp the branches of a tree to help it climb.

One of the most interesting facts about them is that their eyes can be blue, red, or orange, depending on their species. In addition to having colorful eyes, they have vertical pupils. This gives their eyes an appearance similar to that of a snake or a cat. The design of the animal’s eyes allows it to see well at night.

This animal has long nails on its feet that help it climb trees and move from branch to branch in the treetops. They also use their nails for grooming.

The common spotted cuscus hides from predators among the leaves and branches in its environment. This is its main defense against threats.

These marsupials are solitary animals. Normally, they are shy creatures and try to stay hidden most of the time. However, a male can become aggressive if another male enters its territory. Males mark their territory using a liquid sprayed from their scent glands. Also, they lick twigs and sticks within their territory as a signal for another cuscus to stay away.

If one male enters another male’s territory, the animal occupying the territory may kick, bite, or hiss at the trespassing marsupial.

Habitat

These animals live in New Guinea as well as Cape York in Australia. Specifically, they live in trees in tropical forests, hardwood forests, and mangroves. Cuscuses that live in mangroves migrate to tropical forests during the winter season.

These marsupials build homes in the hollows of trees or create platforms or nests high in the treetops where they can sleep.

They live in a warm, wet climate. The animal may sit under a large collection of leaves to cool off when it is extremely hot, or crawl into a hollow log for shade during the hottest part of the day.

Diet

What Does A Cuscus Eat?

These animals are herbivores and eat leaves and fruit. Some biologists refer to cuscus as folivores because their main diet is leaves. Folium is a Latin word meaning leaf, and the word voro means devour (eat). Since cuscuses live in the treetops, leaves are easily accessible and do not require them to risk descending to the forest floor to search for food.

Predators And Threats

What Eats The Cuscus?

Predators of these animals include eagles, pythons, and humans.

Poaching is a threat to these animals. One of the most troubling facts is that they are hunted by humans for food. Hunters also sometimes use their hides to make clothing and other items.

Habitat loss is also a threat. Deforestation takes away the trees where these animals live and reproduce.

Despite these threats, the official conservation status of the common spotted cuscus is Least Concern. Their population is categorized as stable.

Reproduction, Babies And Lifespan

The animal breeds at any time throughout the year and has multiple partners. Though not much is known about their mating rituals, biologists have observed male and female cuscuses making clicking, screeching, and hissing sounds during the courtship period.

The gestation period of a female ranges from 20 to 42 days. Compare this to another member of the Phalangeridae family, the common brushtail possum. A female common brushtail possum’s gestation period ranges from 16 to 18 days.

A cuscus can have from 1 to 4 babies, but the average number of offspring is 2. A newborn weighs less than an ounce. They are born blind, deaf, and without fur. The babies have to find their way by smell and touch into their mother’s pouch to nurse. Any baby that’s not strong enough to find and latch onto its mother’s teat to drink milk will die. The babies are called joeys.

The joeys are weaned at about 5 or 6 months. But they stay in their mother’s pouch for up to 7 months before becoming independent. Some animals have been known to return to their mother’s pouch even after they are weaned. The father plays no role in raising the joeys.

These animals reach sexual maturity at one year old. They can live up to 11 years in the wild.

Population

The exact population of the common spotted cuscus is unknown. However, its conservation status is Least Concern. Its population is reported as stable.