Cercartetus

The genus Cercartetus is a group of very small possums known as pygmy possums. Four species comprise this genus, which together with the genus Burramys make up the marsupial family Burramyidae.^[1]

Cercartetus Temporal range: Late Pleistocene - Recent
Cercartetus nanus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Infraclass:	Marsupialia
Order:	Diprotodontia
Family:	Burramyidae
Genus:	Cercartetus Gloger, 1841
Type species
Phalangista nana Desmarest, 1818
Species
C. caudatus C. concinnus C. lepidus C. nanus Foja pygmy possum Cercartetus sp.(undescribed)

It has occasionally been presumed that Cercaërtus was a misspelling or synonym of Cercartetus.^[2][3] However, the name Cercaërtus is a junior synonym of Trichosurus and not of Cercartetus.^[4][5][6][7]

Conservation International (CI) and the Indonesia Institute of Science (LIPI) reported on the possible discovery of a new species of Cercartetus pygmy possum upon visit to the Foja Mountains in June 2007.^[8]

Species

• Genus Cercartetus
  • Long-tailed pygmy possum, Cercartetus caudatus
  • Southwestern pygmy possum, Cercartetus concinnus
  • Tasmanian pygmy possum, Cercartetus lepidus
  • Eastern pygmy possum, Cercartetus nanus