The honey possum or noolbenger (Tarsipes rostratus), is a tiny species of marsupial in the genus Tarsipes, which is assigned to the monotypic diprotodont family Tarsipedidae. The name of the genus means "tarsier-foot", given for a resemblance to tarsier's simian-like feet and toes noted by the earliest descriptions. This species feeds on the nectar and pollen of a diverse range of flowering plants. Endemic to southwest Australia, it is an important pollinator for such plants as Banksia attenuata, Banksia coccinea and Adenanthos cuneatus.
Nomenclature
Common names The common names include those cited or coined by Gilbert, Gould and Ellis Troughton, include honey phalanger, long-snouted phalanger, tait, and brown barred mouse. The term honey mouse was recorded by Troughton in 1922 as commonly used in the districts around King George Sound. An ethnographic survey of Noongar words recorded for the species found three names were in use, and proposed that these be standardized for spelling and pronunciation as ngoolboongoor (ngool'bong'oor), djebin (dje'bin) and dat, with ngoolboongoor being the origin of the name noolbenger.
Taxonomy The first description of this diprotodont species was published by Paul Gervais and Jules Verreaux on 3 March 1842, referring to a specimen collected by Verreaux. The lectotype nominated for this species, held in the collection at National Museum of Natural History, France, was collected the Swan River Colony. A description of a second species Tarsipes spenserae was published five days later by John Edward Gray; he was aware of the description prepared by Gervais, and thought his specimen represented a second species. The specific epithet honors his wife, whose maiden name was Eliza Lucy Spencer; she was the daughter of the government resident at King George Sound, Richard Spencer. Gray's specimen was provided by George Grey to the British Museum of Natural History, the skin of a male collected at King George Sound. This description was thought to have been published earlier by T. S. Palmer in 1904 and subsequently displaced the usage of T. rostratus. A taxonomic review by Mahoney in 1984 again reduced T. spenserae to a synonym for the species, as was the spelling emendation to spencerae cited by William Ride (1970) and others. The poorly resolved phylogeny of higher-order marsupial relationships has sometimes lead to the species' separation into the superfamily Tarsipedoidea, though this was later abandoned in favour of grouping of South American and Australian marsupials into a clade that ignores the modern geographic remoteness of these continent's fauna. The relationships of the monotypic family within the order Diprotodontia as a petauroid may be summarised as;
Superfamily Petauroidea Family Acrobatidae (gliders) Family Pseudocheiridae (ringtail possums) Family Petauridae (gliders and trioks) Family Tarsipedidae Genus Tarsipes Tarsipes rostratus Its sister taxon is thought to be Dromiciops gliroides, another small marsupial that occurs in South America and is known as the extant member of a genus that is represented in the Gondwanan fossil record. This was supported by phylogenetic analysis, but this is no longer believed to be true. The honey possum's niche is thought to have become available around forty million years ago, when its preferred food plants diversified.
Description
Honey possums are small animals, somewhat resembling voles. Their pelage is a cream colour below that merges to rufous at the flanks, the overall coloration of the upperparts is a mix of brown and grey hairs. They are readily distinguished by their exceptionally long muzzle and three brown stripes from the head to the rump: a dark brown central stripe extends from the rump to a mid-point between the ears, this is a more distinct stripe than the two paler adjacent stripes. The length of the tail is from 70 to 100 millimetres (2.8 to 3.9 in), exceeding the combined body and head length of 65 to 85 mm (2.6 to 3.3 in); it is prehensile, assisting the animal in climbing. The recorded weight range for the species is 5 to 10 grams (0.18 to 0.35 oz). Male honey possums weigh just 7 to 11 g (0.25 to 0.39 oz), and females weigh 8 to 16 g (0.28 to 0.56 oz); about half the weight of a mouse. Their body length ranges from 6.5 to 9 cm (2.6 to 3.5 in). The number of teeth are fewer and most much smaller than is typical for marsupials, with the molars reduced to tiny cones. The dental formula of I2/1 C1/0 P1/0 M3/3 totals no more than 22 teeth. The morphology of the elongated snout's jaws and dentition presents a number of unique characteristics suited to the specialisation as a palynivore and nectivore. Tarsipes' tongue is extensible and the end covered in brush-like papillae, with the redundant action of the modified or reduced teeth being replaced by the interaction of the tongue, keel-like lower incisors and a fine combing surface at the palate. They have trichromat vision, similar to some other marsupials as well as primates but unlike most mammals which have dichromat vision. Their visual acuity is suited for detecting the bright yellow inflorescence of flowers such as Banksia attenuata. They have a typical lifespan between one and two years.
Distribution Although restricted to a fairly small range in the southwest of Western Australia, it is locally common and does not seem to be threatened with extinction so long as its habitat of heath, shrubland, and woodland remains intact and diverse. Collection records held at the Western Australian Museum indicate they are more common in regions of high Proteaceae diversity, areas such as Banksia woodlands where species can be found flowering at all times of the year.
Biology
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