Burramys

One of Australia’s tiniest and most remarkable marsupials. About the size of a mouse, this little furball lives high in the snowy mountains of southeastern Australia and is the only marsupial in the country that lives in alpine areas year-round. It has soft grey-brown fur, a cute round face, big eyes, and a long, prehensile tail that helps it climb and balance. Despite its small size, it’s incredibly tough, surviving in rocky, snow-covered habitats that many animals avoid. It’s a bit of a mystery animal too, as it wasn’t even discovered until fossils were found in 1895.

One of the most amazing things about the mountain pygmy possum is that it hibernates during the long, cold winters. It curls up deep in rock crevices beneath the snow and enters a state of deep sleep, slowing its heartbeat and breathing to conserve energy. This hibernation can last up to seven months! Before that, in the warmer months, it eats as much as possible to build up fat stores. A big part of its diet comes from the bogong moth, which migrates to the mountains in huge numbers each year. These moths are like superfood snacks for the possum, packed with fat and energy. In fact, some possums can eat thousands of them in a single season.

The mountain pygmy possum is also a bit of a homebody. It lives in boulder fields where it can hide from predators, and females often return to the same nesting spots each year to raise their babies. Interestingly, males and females live in different areas for most of the year, only coming together during the breeding season. The females stay in higher altitudes where the best food and shelter are found, while the males live lower down, making breeding tricky.