What is the maximal age a Scaly-tailed possum reaches?
An adult Scaly-tailed possum (Wyulda squamicaudata) usually gets as old as 6 years.
When born, they weight 28 grams (0.06 lbs) and measure 11.1 cm (0′ 5″). As a member of the Phalangeridae family (genus: Wyulda), a Scaly-tailed possum caries out around 1 little ones per pregnancy, which happens around 1 times a year. Fully grown, they reach a bodylength of 37.5 cm (1′ 3″).
As a reference: Usually, humans get as old as 100 years, with the average being around 75 years. After being carried in the belly of their mother for 280 days (40 weeks), they grow to an average size of 1.65m (5′ 5″) and weight in at 62 kg (137 lbs), which is obviously highly individual.
The scaly-tailed possum – Wyulda squamicaudata – is found in northwestern Australia, where it is restricted to the Kimberley. They are light grey over most of the body and have relatively short ears and muzzle. The mostly hairless tail is able to curl around the branches of trees as the possum forages for food, its grasp is aided by rasp-ilke scales and is strong enough to hold its own weight. The species favours complex rocky terrain with dense thickets of vines and the fruiting trees that provide much of their diet.
Animals of the same family as a Scaly-tailed possum
Not really brothers and sisters, but from the same biological family (Phalangeridae):
- Ornate cuscus growing to a mass of 1.79 kgs (3.95 lbs)
- Black-spotted cuscus with 1 babies per pregnancy
- Common brushtail possum becoming 14.67 years old
- Rothschild’s cuscus growing to a mass of 1.37 kgs (3.02 lbs)
- Telefomin cuscus with 1 babies per pregnancy
- Silky cuscus with 1 babies per pregnancy
- Northern brushtail possum with 1 babies per pregnancy
- Admiralty Island cuscus with 1 babies per pregnancy
- Short-eared possum becoming 17 years old
- Common spotted cuscus becoming 11 years old
Animals that reach the same age as Scaly-tailed possum
With an average age of 6 years, Scaly-tailed possum are in good companionship of the following animals:
- Long-tailed weasel usually reaching 7.08 years
- Mongolian gazelle usually reaching 7 years
- White-tailed antelope squirrel usually reaching 5.75 years
- Bridled nail-tail wallaby usually reaching 5 years
- Yellow-pine chipmunk usually reaching 5.17 years
- Prevost’s squirrel usually reaching 5.67 years
- Townsend’s chipmunk usually reaching 7 years
- Cairo spiny mouse usually reaching 5 years
- Virginia opossum usually reaching 5 years
- Mexican mouse opossum usually reaching 7 years
Animals with the same number of babies Scaly-tailed possum
The same number of babies at once (1) are born by:
- Monjon
- Mountain tapir
- Wedge-capped capuchin
- Grey seal
- Silky anteater
- White-nosed saki
- Southern tree hyrax
- Horsfield’s tarsier
- Northern giraffe
- Coquerel’s giant mouse lemur
Weighting as much as Scaly-tailed possum
A fully grown Scaly-tailed possum reaches around 1.81 kg (3.98 lbs). So do these animals:
- Lac Alaotra bamboo lemur weighting 1.62 kilos (3.57 lbs) on average
- Indian giant flying squirrel weighting 1.68 kilos (3.7 lbs) on average
- De Vis’s woolly rat weighting 1.66 kilos (3.66 lbs) on average
- Steppe polecat weighting 1.68 kilos (3.7 lbs) on average
- Mountain cuscus weighting 1.82 kilos (4.01 lbs) on average
- Tolai hare weighting 1.59 kilos (3.51 lbs) on average
- Southern long-nosed armadillo weighting 1.5 kilos (3.31 lbs) on average
- Tree pangolin weighting 1.54 kilos (3.4 lbs) on average
- Southern giant slender-tailed cloud rat weighting 1.84 kilos (4.06 lbs) on average
- Alpine woolly rat weighting 2.04 kilos (4.5 lbs) on average