Also known as the Tasmanian pygmy possum or tiny pygmy possum, it is the world’s smallest possum species and weigh just about 0.25 ounces. Before last week, they hadn’t been seen on the island since wildfires began early this year, which in the following months burned almost half of Kangaroo Island, located just off the southern Australia coast.
With a body growing to just 7.7cm long, plus an 8cm-long tail, western pygmy possums might be pretty tiny, but they’re actually one of the largest pygmy possums in the world.
Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife said it worked with private property owners and made the find last Friday. They posted photos of the little pygmy possum to their Facebook page.
Fauna ecologist Pat Hodgens, who found the little guy, called the discovery “extremely exciting.”
More than three billion animals in Australia were killed or displaced by the “Black Summer” wildfires this year. The fires killed at least 33 people and burned millions of acres.
