A marsupial that breaks the mold by spending a good portion of its time on the forest floor rather than exclusively in the trees. Found mainly in Papua New Guinea and parts of Indonesia’s Papua region, this species lives in montane and hill forests, often in cooler, higher-elevation habitats. While it still climbs, it’s far more comfortable walking, foraging, and exploring among leaf litter and low vegetation than many of its strictly arboreal relatives.

Visually, the ground cuscus has a chunky, woolly appearance, with thick fur that ranges from gray to rusty brown, sometimes with paler underparts. Its large, rounded ears and soft face give it a gentle expression, but don’t let the cuddly look fool you — this animal is well adapted to survival in dense rainforest. It has a prehensile tail, though shorter and less densely furred than other cuscuses, and strong limbs suited for climbing and scrambling over uneven terrain. Large eyes help it navigate in low-light conditions since, like most marsupials in the region, it is primarily nocturnal.

The ground cuscus has a varied diet, feeding on leaves, fruit, flowers, and occasional insects or small animals, making it an opportunistic browser. Because it forages at ground level more often than other cuscuses, it plays a slightly different ecological role — helping disperse seeds, prune understory plants, and cycle nutrients through the forest ecosystem. During the day, it typically shelters in tree hollows, dense foliage, or ground burrows it finds rather than digs, staying hidden from predators like pythons, owls, and wild dogs.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

Indonesia

2015

Papua New Guinea

2015