By Jesse Hawley. Image: Sakurai Midori/Wikimedia Commons. The Bear cuscus is an elusive marsupial found only on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. The cuscus is a large marsupial native to the Northern forest of Australia and the large, tropical island of Papua New Guinea.The cuscus is a subspecies of possum with the cuscus being the largest of the world's possum species.. Not much is known about the Bear cuscus which is certainly a rare find considering that Asia is not known for marsupial species. This unusual looking animal, which is actually a marsupial, has earned several names including bear phalanger, Sulawesi bear cuscus. Cuscus. The Sulawesi bear cuscus or Sulawesi bear phalanger (Ailurops ursinus) is a species of marsupial in the family Phalangeridae. Interactions with others, especially between competing males, can be aggressive and confrontational. 6 minute read. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It is hypothesized that the isolation of the bear cuscuses on the island of Sulawesi in the Miocene accounts for the animal's morphological divergence from the rest of the family Phalangeridae. Its long and naked tail is prehensile, or grasping, and the bear cuscus uses it, along with its sharp, curved claws, to maneuver through the trees it lives in. The Sulawesi Bear Cuscus. Facts Summary: The Sulawesi Bear Cuscus (Ailurops ursinus) is a species of concern belonging in the species group "mammals" and found in the following area(s): Indonesia.This species is also known by the following name(s): Phalanger ursinus, Sulawesi Bear Phalanger. The cuscus is a large marsupial native to the Northern forest of Australia and the large, tropical island of Papua New Guinea.The cuscus is a subspecies of possum with the cuscus being the largest of the world's possum species.. Did you know that the Sulawesi Bear Cuscus is actually a marsupial and Continue reading Due to the low nutrient level in much of its diet, the cuscus tends to move slowly and spend a … It is endemic to Sulawesi and nearby islands in Indonesia. Rare Sulawesi bear cuscus born in captivity for first time Very little is known about the Sulawesi bear cuscus, which lives in dwindling forests on the Indonesian island where it … It has been assumed that this bear cuscus is Ailurops melanotis, but this requires confirmation as the Sangihe Island group is separate from the Talaud Islands and lies closer to Sulawesi, where the more widespread A. ursinus exists. The Cuscus appearance is like a sloth combined with a monkey. What’s for dinner? Content on the Rainforest Alliance website about the sulawesi bear cuscus. Sulawesi is the most western part of Indonesia where marsupials can be found due to Wallace’s Line — a boundary line that marks a faunal transitional zone between Asia and Australia. Its long and naked tail is prehensile, or grasping, and the bear cuscus uses it, along with its sharp, curved claws, to maneuver through the trees it lives in. Did you know that at Murex Bangka Resort we have been having sightings of the Sulawesi Bear Cuscus (Ailurops ursinus) in the trees near the dive and snorkeling center? Some people keep Cuscus as house pets. In French, it is called the grand couscous de celebes. Named for its soft, dense pelage of black-greyish, bear-like fur, the Sulawesi bear cuscus (Ailurops ursinus) is a peculiar, yet distinctive marsupial.Adapted for a life high in the canopy, the Sulawesi bear cuscus has curved and sharply pointed claws and a long prehensile tail. It uses its elongated claws and long, prehensile tail to navigate the upper canopy by slowly swinging from branch to branch (see the video below of one of the cuscus spotted at Murex Bangka). This species is also known by the following name(s): Phalanger ursinus, Sulawesi Bear Phalanger.