Blue-eyed spotted cuscus

The blue-eyed spotted cuscus or Biak spotted cuscus (Spilocuscus wilsoni) is a species of critically endangered marsupial in the family Phalangeridae.

Blue-eyed spotted cuscus
Conservation status
Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Infraclass:	Marsupialia
Order:	Diprotodontia
Family:	Phalangeridae
Genus:	Spilocuscus
Species:	S. wilsoni
Binomial name
Spilocuscus wilsoni Helgen & Flannery, 2004
Blue-eyed spotted cuscus range

Taxonomy

The blue-eyed spotted cuscus is one of five species of spotted cuscus in the genus Spilocuscus. The characteristics of species in this genus are sexual dichromatism in fur colour and pattern, sexual dimorphism, small and internally furry ears, vertically slit pupils, and a protruding frontal sinus/forehead.^[2]

Spilocuscus

Species	Geographic Range
S. rufoniger	Lowlands, northern New Guinea
S. maculatus	Lowlands, northern New Guinea; tropical northeastern Australia
S. papuensis	Waigeo and Batanta islands, northwestern New Guinea
S. kraemeri	Admiralty island group, northwestern Bismarck Archipelago
S. wilsoni	Biak and Suipori islands, northern New Guinea

Spilocuscus wilsoni is a "distinctive insular species" like the S. papuensis and S. kraemeri, and is endemic to a small island group in Cenderawasih Bay.^[2] Blue-eyed spotted cuscus inhabit Biak island, coexisting with the Common Spotted Cuscus (Spilocuscus papuensis).^[3] Spilocuscus wilsoni was classified as its own species in 2004 by Kristofer M. Helgen and Timothy F. Flannery.^[2]

Etymology

The species is named for Don E. Wilson, of the Division of Mammals at the United States National Museum of Natural History, mentor of the co-classifier Kristofer M. Helgen.^[2][4]

Description

The blue-eyed spotted cuscus has a pale marbled coat with shades of brown, grey, and white with a creamy white underbelly. Colour, patterns and size differ according to sex and age.^{[3] [2]}This species is relatively smaller in size than the other Spilocuscus cuscuses and has distinct blue-green eyes, not seen in any other species in the genus.^[2]

Sexual dimorphism

Females are larger than males.

Distribution and habitat

The blue-eyed spotted cuscus can be found on several of the islands in the Cenderawasih Bay in West Papua and in Halmahera Island in North Maluku of Indonesia. This region is made up of the islands Biak, Supiori, and Numfor. Despite being endemic to the islands Biak and Supiori, the blue-eyed spotted cuscus have been spotted on the island of Numfor as pets.^[5] This cuscus lives in the treetops of the tropical rainforests found throughout Supiori and Biak. Due to the rugged terrain common on the Supiori Island, it is better insulated from human foot traffic and allows for a more flourishing population than that on Biak.

Conservation

The major threats to the blue-eyed spotted cuscus include habitat loss, hunting, and collection for the exotic pet trade by locals. Due to its rarity, the blue-eyed spotted cuscus was only scientifically described in 2004 and was deemed critically endangered by the IUCN in 2015.^[6] Recent surveys have failed to find any wild individuals from Numfor and, more recently, Biak.^[7] Reasons for the rarity of the blue-eyed spotted cuscus is unknown, especially considering the other species within the genus (S. maculatus and S. kraemeri species) also operate in restricted ranges, yet are still quite common despite hunting and habitat destruction.^[2]

Currently, there are no widespread conservation efforts dedicated to protecting this species. However, 12% of its ecoregion (344km²) has been classified as protected between the three islands.^[5][8]