Long-lost marsupials reappear after 6,000 years
Surprise! Two marsupials believed to have vanished for 6,000 years, the ring-tailed glider and the pygmy long-fingered possum, were just found alive in Indonesia's Vogelkop Peninsula.
Their comeback is a big win for New Guinea's reputation as a hotspot for rare and fascinating wildlife.
Glider's features
The ring-tailed glider is smaller than its Australian cousins, with standout features like naked ears, eye rings, and a super-grippy tail.
It's loyal too, mating for life; its reproductive rate is not specified.
The pygmy long-fingered possum rocks body stripes and has one digit on each hand about twice as long as the next-longest finger.
Threats to species
Local Indigenous groups see the glider as sacred, but both species are at risk from logging and palm oil plantations eating away their rainforest home.
The ring-tailed glider's reproductive rate is not specified, which can make it vulnerable to small threats; the reproductive rate of the pygmy long-fingered possum is not specified here.
Scientists say there could be more out there waiting to be found, only if these forests stick around.