Cuscus or Couscous?
We went on a little night tour near the camp where we are staying this week! We were looking for a super cute animal that calls the forest home! They have a funny name- that sounds similar to that delicious side dish coucous!
Date: 5/9
Location: Raja Ampat Islands
Ground Cuscus Fun Facts:
- Ground cuscus are marsupials.
- They have prehensile tail. They use it to grip branches.
- Even ground cuscus are still mostly arboreal, but nest in burrows during the day.
- They have little to no fur on their ears.
- Ground cuscus are solitary and mark their territories with urine.
- Because they are fruit eaters, they disperse seeds throughout the forest causing new growth! Seed dispersers are important for the ecosystems.
We had such a great time watching this little marsupial in the trees. They are quiet and slow moving, but sooooo cool!
They look like a mini lemur. Why do they have little to no fur on their ears? Is it useful to them to have bare ears? Curious