Honey Possum

The honey possum or noolbenger (Tarsipes rostratus), is a tiny species of marsupial in the genus Tarsipes, which is assigned to the monotypic diprotodont family Tarsipedidae. The name of the genus means "tarsier-foot", given for a resemblance to tarsier's simian-like feet and toes noted by the earliest descriptions. This species feeds on the nectar and pollen of a diverse range of flowering plants. Endemic to southwest Australia, it is an important pollinator for such plants as Banksia attenuata, Banksia coccinea and Adenanthos cuneatus. == Nomenclature == === Common names === The common names include those cited or coined by Gilbert, Gould and Ellis Troughton, include honey phalanger, long-snouted phalanger, tait, and brown barred mouse. The term honey mouse was recorded by Troughton in 1922 as commonly used in the districts around King George Sound. An ethnographic survey of Noongar words recorded for the species found three names were in use, and proposed that these be standardized for spelling and pronunciation as ngoolboongoor (ngool'bong'oor), djebin (dje'bin) and dat, with ngoolboongoor being the origin of the name noolbenger. === Taxonomy === The first description of this diprotodont species was published by Paul Gervais and Jules Verreaux on 3 March 1842, referring to…