Ailurops ursinus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	DIPROTODONTIA	PHALANGERIDAE

Scientific Name:

Ailurops ursinus

Species Authority:

(Temminck, 1824)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Bear Cuscus, Bear Phalanger, Sulawesi Bear Cuscus
French	–	Grand Couscous De Célèbes

Synonym/s:

Phalanger ursinus (Temminck, 1824)

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Vulnerable A4bcd ver 3.1

Year Published:

2008

Assessor/s:

Salas, L., Dickman, C., Helgen, K. & Flannery, T.

Reviewer/s:

Lamoreux, J. & Hilton-Taylor, C. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

Justification:
Listed as Vulnerable because of an ongoing population decline estimated and projected to exceed 30% in a ten year period (5 in the past, 5 in the future) due to the high rate of deforestation and hunting of this species on Sulawesi.

History:

1996

–

Data Deficient

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species occurs on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia, and the adjacent Indonesian islands of Butung, the Peleng Islands, the Togian Islands, and possibly Muna (Flannery 1995). It ranges from sea level to over 600 m asl.
Countries:	Native: Indonesia
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	It is widespread and common in suitable habitat. A density estimate (based on line transects) of 2.0 individuals/km² was reported for North Sulawesi in the 1993-1994 (O'Brien and Kinnaird 1996). This species, however, was at one time much more plentiful. From 1979-1994, there had been a 95% decline in Tangkoko-DuaSudara Nature Reserve due to hunting and this decline may be indicative of trends for North Sulawesi (O'Brien and Kinnaird 1996). This decline is only getting worse due to hunting and the pet trade (M. Kinnaird pers. comm.).
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Population:

It is widespread and common in suitable habitat. A density estimate (based on line transects) of 2.0 individuals/km² was reported for North Sulawesi in the 1993-1994 (O'Brien and Kinnaird 1996). This species, however, was at one time much more plentiful. From 1979-1994, there had been a 95% decline in Tangkoko-DuaSudara Nature Reserve due to hunting and this decline may be indicative of trends for North Sulawesi (O'Brien and Kinnaird 1996). This decline is only getting worse due to hunting and the pet trade (M. Kinnaird pers. comm.).

Population Trend:

Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It is typically found in undisturbed tropical lowland moist forests. This species does not readily use disturbed habitats, thus it is not usually found in gardens or plantations (M. Kinnaird pers. comm.). It is a largely diurnal, arboreal species that is often found in pairs. Its diet consists of a variety of leaves, preferring young leaves, and like many other arboreal folivores it spends much of its day resting in order to digest (Dwiyahreni et al. 1999).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

It is typically found in undisturbed tropical lowland moist forests. This species does not readily use disturbed habitats, thus it is not usually found in gardens or plantations (M. Kinnaird pers. comm.). It is a largely diurnal, arboreal species that is often found in pairs. Its diet consists of a variety of leaves, preferring young leaves, and like many other arboreal folivores it spends much of its day resting in order to digest (Dwiyahreni et al. 1999).

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	It is threatened by habitat loss due to clearance of forest for small-scale agriculture and through large-scale logging. It is also heavily hunted by local people for food, and collected for the pet trade.

Major Threat(s):

It is threatened by habitat loss due to clearance of forest for small-scale agriculture and through large-scale logging. It is also heavily hunted by local people for food, and collected for the pet trade.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	It occurs in many protected areas, including: Tangkoko-DuaSudara Nature Reserve, Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park, Lore Lindu National Park, Morowali National Park, and a host of forest reserves. This species is nominally protected by Indonesian law.

Conservation Actions:

It occurs in many protected areas, including: Tangkoko-DuaSudara Nature Reserve, Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park, Lore Lindu National Park, Morowali National Park, and a host of forest reserves. This species is nominally protected by Indonesian law.

Citation:	Salas, L., Dickman, C., Helgen, K. & Flannery, T. 2008. Ailurops ursinus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 May 2012.
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