# Northern common cuscus

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{{Short description|Species of marsupial}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Northern common cuscus<ref name=msw3>{{MSW3 Groves | pages = 47}}</ref>
| image = Phalanger orientalis bbksda.webp
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Leary, T. |author2=Singadan, R. |author3=Menzies, J. |author4=Helgen, K. |author5=Wright, D. |author6=Allison, A. |author7=Hamilton, S. |author8=Salas, L. |author9=Dickman, C. |year=2016 |title=''Phalanger orientalis'' |article-number=e.T16847A21951519 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T16847A21951519.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref>
| status2 = CITES_A2 
| status2_system = CITES 
| status2_ref = <ref>{{Cite web|title=Appendices {{!}} CITES|url=https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php|access-date=2022-01-14|website=cites.org}}</ref>
| genus = Phalanger
| species = orientalis
| authority = ([Pallas](/source/Peter_Simon_Pallas), 1766)
| synonyms = 
| range_map = Northern Common Cuscus area.png
| range_map_caption = Northern common cuscus range<br />(blue — native, red — introduced, dark gray — origin uncertain)
}}
The '''northern common cuscus''' ('''''Phalanger orientalis'''''), also known as the '''gray cuscus''', is a species of [marsupial](/source/marsupial) in the family [Phalangeridae](/source/Phalangeridae) native to northern [New Guinea](/source/New_Guinea) and adjacent smaller islands, but is now also found in the [Bismarck Archipelago](/source/Bismarck_Archipelago), southeast and central [Moluccas](/source/Maluku_Islands), the [Solomons](/source/Solomon_Islands), and [Timor](/source/Timor), where it is believed to have been [introduced](/source/Introduced_species) in prehistoric times from [New Guinea](/source/New_Guinea).<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021" /><ref name=Schapper>{{Cite journal|last=Schapper|first=Antoinette|year=2011|title=Phalanger Facts: Notes on Blust's Marsupial Reconstructions|journal=Oceanic Linguistics|issue=1|volume=50|pages=258–272|doi=10.1353/ol.2011.0004|s2cid=145482148}}</ref> It was formerly considered [conspecific](/source/conspecific) with the [allopatric](/source/allopatric) ''[P.&nbsp;intercastellanus](/source/Eastern_common_cuscus)'' and ''[P. mimicus](/source/Southern_common_cuscus)''.

It is hunted for human consumption in New Guinea.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Margaretha Pangau-Adam |author2=Richard Noske|author3=Michael Muehlenberg|title=Wildmeat or Bushmeat? Subsistence Hunting and Commercial Harvesting in Papua (West New Guinea), Indonesia|journal=Hum Ecol|year=2012|volume=40|issue=4 |pages=611–621 |doi=10.1007/s10745-012-9492-5|bibcode=2012HumEc..40..611P |doi-access=free}}</ref>

==Names==
It is known as ''laku ita'' in the [Naueti language](/source/Naueti_language)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lexirumah.model-ling.eu/lexirumah/parameters/cuscus |website=LexiRumah|version=3.0.0|title='cuscus'/'kuskus'}}</ref> or ''meda'' in the [Tetum Terik](/source/Tetum_Terik) [Tetum language](/source/Tetum_language) of [Timor-Leste](/source/Timor-Leste).

==Habitat==
The northern common cuscus normally inhabits disturbed habitats. These would include secondary forest, plantations, and gardens. This species is also found in primary tropical forests.<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021"/> While living in the arboreal environments, hunters in the area believe that the tree hollows are the preferred den site of the cuscus.<ref name=TEH>{{cite journal|author=TE Heinsohn|title=Den sites and habitats utilised by the northern common cuscus ''Phalanger orientalis'' (Marsupialia: Phalangeridae) in East Timor|date=January 2005|journal=Australian Mammalogy|volume=27|issue=1|pages=99–101 |doi=10.1071/AM05099}}</ref> Local villagers reported that the northern common cuscus can be found in any substantially forested areas from coastal monsoon rainforest and gallery forest to the remnant montane rainforest.<ref name=TEH/>

==Distribution==
The northern common cuscus inhabits the islands of [Timor](/source/Timor), specifically [Indonesia](/source/Indonesia) and [Timor-Leste](/source/Timor-Leste), Wetar and Leti (both to Indonesia) through the Kai Islands and a number of the Moluccan Islands of Indonesia (including Ambon, Buru, and Seram); it is also found on the islands of Misool, Waigeo, Batanta, and Salawati (all Indonesia), and ranges over much of the northern part of the island of New Guinea (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea), including a number of offshore islands.<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021"/> It ranges as far east as the [Bismarck Archipelago](/source/Bismarck_Archipelago), Papua New Guinea, where it is present on many islands including the islands of New Britain and New Ireland. It also occurs on many of the Solomon Islands.<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021"/> It is believed that many of the insular island populations are the result of prehistorical introductions, possibly including Timor, Seram, Buru, Sanana, the Kai Islands, the Bismarck Archipelago, and the Solomon Island chain.<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021"/> The northern common cuscus was introduced into [New Ireland](/source/New_Ireland_(island)) between 10,000 and 20,000 years ago, and into the [Solomon Islands](/source/Solomon_Islands) after 6,000 years ago; in [Biak Island](/source/Biak_Island) and [Supiori Island](/source/Supiori_Island), it is also an introduced species.<ref name=Schapper/>

==Niche==
Generally, its niche is thought to be that of a nocturnal arboreal [folivore](/source/folivore) with frugivorous tendencies.<ref>{{cite book|author=FLANNERY TF|year=1994|title=Possums of the world: a monograph of the Phalangeroidea |publisher=GeoProductions / Australian Museum|location=Sydney}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=FLANNERY TF|year=1995a|title=Mammals of New Guinea |publisher=Australian Museum / Reed Books|location=Sydney}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=FLANNERY TF|year=1995b|title=Mammals of the south-west Pacific and Moluccan Islands|publisher=Australian Museum / Reed Books|location=Sydney}}</ref>

==References==
{{Wikispecies|Phalanger orientalis}}
{{Commons category|Phalanger orientalis}}
{{Reflist}}

{{Diprotodontia|P.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q209996}}

Category:Possums
Category:Mammals of Papua New Guinea
Category:Mammals of Indonesia
Category:Mammals of Timor
Category:Marsupials of New Guinea
Category:Fauna of the Lesser Sunda Islands
Category:Mammals described in 1766
Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
Category:Taxa named by Peter Simon Pallas
Category:Fauna of Timor-Leste

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Northern common cuscus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_common_cuscus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_common_cuscus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.