The Blue-Eyed Spotted Cuscus

This furry tree-dweller is one of more than 1,000 new species discovered in the world's third-largest tract of rain forest.

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Blue-eyed spotted cuscus (Spilocuscus wilsoni), Papua New Guinea. One new mammal species has been discovered in the region on average every year over the past ten years. The highest diversity of tree-dwelling marsupials in the world exists on New Guinea, with an incredible 38 species. One of these species, the Blue-eyed Spotted Cuscus (Spilocuscus wilsoni), a small possum endemic to Papua in Indonesia, was discovered in 2004.

Photo By: Tim Flannery / WWF

The blue-eyed spotted cuscus (Spilocuscus wilsoni) is one of about 10 new mammal species discovered in the past decade in Papua New Guinea, where a world-record 38 species of tree-dwelling marsupials live. The possum is one of more than 1,000 new species discovered in Papua New Guinea in recent years, according to WWF, which has just released a report on the island's amazing natural riches.

New Guinea, an island divided politically by Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, has the world's third-largest tract of intact rain forest, after the Amazon and the Congo. Deforestation, conservationists warn, is a major threat to the forest and the habitat it provides.

"Despite its remote location, New Guinea’s natural habitats are being lost at an alarming rate. The island’s forests are facing serious threats including logging, mining, wildlife trade and conversion to agriculture, particularly oil palm," Eric Verheij, conservation director for WWF Western Melanesia, said in a news release.

Conservation International has previously reported on its discoveries of amazing new wildlife species in New Guinea. See more photos of newly discovered Papua New Guinea wildlife.

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