NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Moluccan Cuscus
Phalanger ornatus (Gray, 1860)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Cuscus ornatus = Phalanger ornatus
J. Jennens · Public domain · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 800 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
The ornate cuscus or Molluccan cuscus (Phalanger ornatus) is a species of marsupial in the family Phalangeridae. It is endemic to Indonesia, where it is found on the North Maluku islands of Halmahera, Bacan and Morotai, at elevations from sea level to 1,000 m (3,300 ft).
Wikipedia contributors, Ornate cuscus; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T04:31:00.640077+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Phalanger ornatus (Gray, 1860)
- Name authority
- (Gray, 1860)
- Common name
- Moluccan Cuscus
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Diprotodontia
- Family
- Phalangeridae
- Genus
- Phalanger
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassMetatheria Huxley, 1880
- orderDiprotodontia Owen, 1866
- suborderPhalangeriformes Szalay in Archer, 1982
- superfamilyPhalangeroidea Thomas, 1888
- familyPhalangeridae Thomas, 1888
- subfamilyPhalangerinae Thomas, 1888
- genusPhalanger Storr, 1780
- speciesPhalanger ornatus (Gray, 1860)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Phalanger. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Southern Common CuscusPhalanger mimicus Thomas, 1922 | PhalangeridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Obi CuscusPhalanger rothschildi Thomas, 1898 | PhalangeridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Silky CuscusPhalanger sericeus Thomas, 1907 | PhalangeridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Gebe CuscusPhalanger alexandrae Flannery & Boeadi, 1995 | PhalangeridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mountain CuscusPhalanger carmelitae Thomas, 1898 | PhalangeridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Ground CuscusPhalanger gymnotis Peters & Doria, 1875 | PhalangeridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Eastern Common CuscusPhalanger intercastellanus Thomas, 1895 | PhalangeridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Telefomin CuscusPhalanger matanim Flannery, 1987 | PhalangeridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Northern Common CuscusPhalanger orientalis (Pallas, 1766) | PhalangeridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Banggai CuscusPhalanger pelengensis Tate, 1945 | PhalangeridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Stein's CuscusPhalanger vestitus (A. Milne-Edwards, 1877) | PhalangeridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Cucus ornatus Gray, 1860 Gray, 1860 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=552686 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4FR5Z. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.