Mammals
Striped Possum
Dactylopsila trivirgata · also called striped possums
Pausing on a rainforest branch, a striped possum cocks its head to listen for the faint sound of a grub moving inside the bark, then probes the crevice with a dramatically elongated finger, all while carrying a scent pungent enough to announce its presence long before it is seen.
Overview
The striped possum, Dactylopsila trivirgata, is a bold, skunk-patterned marsupial native to rainforest habitat across New Guinea and a restricted part of far north Queensland, Australia. Its greatly elongated grub-extracting finger, striking black-and-white coat, and notably pungent scent make it one of the more visually and behaviourally distinctive small marsupials found anywhere in the rainforests of the region.
A finger built for hidden grubs
Convergently evolving a tool strikingly similar to the aye-aye’s on the other side of the world, the striped possum’s elongated fourth finger lets it reach deep into tree bark for grubs that would otherwise remain completely out of reach.
Status
Least Concern, remaining present across suitable rainforest habitat throughout New Guinea and far north Queensland.
Striped Possum: common questions
What does the striped possum use its long finger for?
This species has a greatly elongated fourth finger on each hand, used to probe into narrow crevices in tree bark and extract wood-boring grubs, a specialised feeding tool that functions similarly to the famous elongated finger of the unrelated aye-aye of Madagascar.
Why does the striped possum look like a skunk?
This species has a bold, skunk-like coat pattern of black and white stripes running the length of its body, a striking resemblance that is purely coincidental, since the striped possum is not closely related to skunks and instead evolved this pattern independently.
How strong is the striped possum's smell?
This species produces a notably strong, pungent scent from specialised glands, likely used for territorial marking and possibly as a deterrent to potential predators, making it one of the more distinctly scented marsupials in its rainforest habitat.
How does the striped possum find grubs hidden inside tree bark?
This species is believed to detect the presence of hidden wood-boring larvae by listening for faint sounds produced as the grubs move or chew within tree bark and branches, before using its elongated finger to extract them.