Qld: Possum loss blamed on climate change

AAP General News (Australia)
12-03-2008
Qld: Possum loss blamed on climate change

BRISBANE, Dec 3 AAP - Where is the white lemuroid possum?

Scientists in far north Queensland suspect the missing creature may be the first extinction
of a mammal caused by climate change.

The possum, whose only habitat is above 1000 metres in the moutain rainforests around
Daintree, north of Cairns, has not been seen for three years.

Experts fear a temperature rise of up to 0.8C could be responsible.

It would be the first known loss of a mammal and the most significant since the extinction
of the Dodo and the Tasmanian Tiger.

"It is not looking good," researcher Steve Williams told The Courier Mail.

"Prior to 2005 we were seeing a lemuroid every 45 minutes of spotlighting at one main
site at Mt Lewis," he said.

"If they have died out it would be first example of something that has gone extinct
purely because of global warming."

Professor Williams, director of the Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change
at James Cook University, said it only takes four or five hours of temperatures above
30C to kill the highly vulnerable species.

He said record high temperatures in the summer of 2005 could have caused a massive die-off.

An expedition will be mounted next year in an attempt to locate survivors.

AAP stg/imc

KEYWORD: EXTINCT

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