Honey possum

Lore & Background

A second species, Tarsipes spenserae, was described shortly afterward by John Edward Gray, who thought his specimen represented a different species; this was later reduced to a synonym. The genus name Tarsipes means 'tarsier-foot', referring to the resemblance of its feet to those of a tarsier. Common names include honey phalanger, long-snouted phalanger, tait, and honey mouse. An ethnographic survey of Noongar words recorded three names: ngoolboongoor, djebin, and dat, with ngoolboongoor being the origin of the name noolbenger.

Reader's Guide

The honey possum is a keystone species in the ecology of the coastal sands of Southwest Australia, particularly in kwongan plant communities. It feeds on nectar and pollen from diverse flowering plants, primarily genera of Proteaceae, Myrtaceae, and Epacridaceae. Its feeding activity involves visiting many individual plants, and its head often carries a small pollen load that can be conveyed more effectively than birds. The species Banksia attenuata appears to be obliged to this animal as a pollination vector, and both species have evolved mutualistic interactions. A nine-gram individual requires about 7 ml of nectar and 1 g of pollen daily. The honey possum is mainly nocturnal, but may feed during daylight in cooler weather. It can enter torpor when exposed to cooler temperatures or lack of food. Although restricted to a fairly small range, it is locally common and not threatened as long as its habitat remains intact. Its sister taxon was thought to be Dromiciops gliroides, a South American marsupial, but this is no longer believed to be true.

Did You Know?

• The honey possum is the only entirely nectarivorous mammal that is not a bat.
• Its tongue is extensible and covered in brush-like papillae for gathering pollen and nectar.
• It has trichromat vision, similar to some other marsupials and primates, unlike most mammals.
• Males can move up to 0.5 km in a night and use areas averaging 0.8 hectares.

Taxonomic Placement & Classification

The honey possum, scientifically designated Tarsipes rostratus, occupies a distinctive position within the mammalian tree of life. It belongs to the family Tarsipedidae, a small family represented by this single genus and species, and falls within the superfamily Petauroidea alongside gliders, ring-tailed possums, and feathertail gliders. At the suborder level, it is grouped under Phalangeriformes, a diverse assemblage of roughly seventy species of small to medium-sized marsupials found across Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi. However, this suborder has been identified as paraphyletic with respect to Macropodiformes, meaning that if Phalangeriformes is treated as a natural group, the kangaroo and wallaby lineage would actually nest within it. The honey possum sits within the broader order Diprotodontia, which encompasses about two-thirds of all Australian marsupials and is divided into three suborders: Vombatiformes, Phalangeriformes, and Macropodiformes. This taxonomic complexity underscores that the honey possum's evolutionary story is intertwined with some of Australia's most iconic marsupial lineages.

Dietary Specialization: The Nectar-Feeding Niche

Within the broad dietary spectrum of Phalangeriformes, the honey possum stands out as one of the most ecologically specialized feeders. While its relatives range from generalist herbivores and omnivores like the common brushtail possum, to specialist browsers of eucalyptus foliage such as the greater glider, and to insectivores like the mountain pygmy possum, the honey possum has committed itself to a nectar-feeding lifestyle. This makes it a remarkable outlier among the roughly seventy species in its suborder. The group as a whole is characterized by quadrupedal locomotion and long tails, yet their feeding strategies vary enormously. The honey possum's reliance on nectar places it in a narrow ecological niche, one that likely demands specific floral resources and seasonal availability. This specialization contrasts sharply with the dietary flexibility seen in other phalangeriformes, some of which have even adapted to urban environments by exploiting a wide variety of food sources. The nectar-feeding strategy of Tarsipes rostratus represents a unique evolutionary trajectory within a group otherwise defined by broad dietary generalism.

Body Plan, Locomotion & Habitat

As a member of Phalangeriformes, the honey possum shares a fundamental body architecture with its suborder-mates: it is a quadrupedal marsupial equipped with a long tail. This tail, combined with four-limbed locomotion, forms the structural basis for the group's characteristic movement through three-dimensional environments. Phalangeriformes species are typically nocturnal, meaning the honey possum's active period falls within the dark hours, and they are at least partially arboreal, indicating a strong association with trees and vegetation. The group predominantly inhabits vegetated habitats, providing the structural complexity these animals need for foraging and shelter. Size within Phalangeriformes spans an extraordinary range: from the Tasmanian pygmy possum, the smallest diprotodont marsupial at just 70 millimeters in head-body length and 10 grams in weight, up to the bear cuscus species that can exceed seven kilograms. The honey possum, as a small to medium-sized member of this group, occupies the lower end of this spectrum. Several phalangeriformes have demonstrated remarkable adaptability, adjusting well to urban settings, though the honey possum's specialized nectar diet may limit its capacity for such flexibility.

Naming, Misconceptions & Evolutionary Kinship

The common name "possum" applied to the honey possum and its Australasian relatives carries a fascinating etymological baggage. The term derives from the creatures' resemblance to the opossums of the Americas, whose own name traces back to the Powhatan word "aposoum," meaning "white animal," ultimately from the Proto-Algonquian root *wa·p-aʔɬemwa, meaning "white dog." This naming convention, based purely on superficial visual similarity, is deeply misleading from an evolutionary standpoint. While opossums are indeed marsupials, Australasian possums are far more closely related to other Australasian marsupials such as kangaroos, wallabies, and the musky rat-kangaroo. The honey possum's true evolutionary kin are found within the order Diprotodontia, a group that accounts for approximately two-thirds of all Australian marsupial species. This means the honey possum shares a deeper common ancestor with the kangaroo than it does with the North American opossum that inspired its common name. The alternative name "noolbenger," also applied to Tarsipes rostratus, sidesteps this taxonomic confusion entirely and may better reflect the animal's true identity.