Essay Sample about Pygmy-Possum Burramys Parvus

Have you ever wondered about Mountain Pygmy-possums? I would assume that most would be wondering what they are. This animal is in the opossum family with the scientific name 

Burramys parvus. They have strong immune systems and low body temperatures. This makes them unreceptive to rabies and other deadly diseases.

Being in the opossum family, these animals are very small. As adults, they only weigh between 1 and 2 ounces. They are anywhere from 3 to 5 inches long as adults as well. Their fur ranges in shades of brown and black on their back, but on their undersides, it is more of a cream color. For courtship purposes, the male’s fur turns orange during mating season.

This mating season or reproduction season is from October to November. Mountain Pygmy-possums stay pregnant for 14 to 16 days at a time. This is a very short pregnancy duration. These animals are mostly born in groups of 3 or 4 joeys. They are ready to leave and live in the wild on their own at just 10 weeks old.

Sadly, in the wild, this population only includes 2,250 members. They are rapidly decreasing in number and are critically endangered. They are the only mammals that live in Australia. They live high in the Alps of Victoria and New South Wales. They mostly inhabit the rocky screes and boulder fields in mountain ranges.

Getting their food from this habitat is surprisingly easy. They are omnivores so they eat almost anything. In the spring, they store fat by eating Bogong moths. They eat various insects and seeds as well as fruit from Mountain Plum Pines. They have multiple ways of getting their food.

They have very strong and powerful hind legs to climb trees. With large front teeth, they can bite into just about anything. They usually live anywhere from 4 to 7 years. When threatened, they usually hiss to scare off other animals. Although they might not look it, they are very similar to their relative the opossum. 

Mountain Pygmy-possums is very interesting to learn about. They have a fantastic sense of smell. My favorite thing I learned about them is how small the population they are. I think I have learned a lot about them already, but I would like to know why they are such a small population. The best thing we can do to help them and other endangered animals are to help the environment.