NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Silky Cuscus
Phalanger sericeus Thomas, 1907
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.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Phalanger sericeus Thomas, 1907
- Name authority
- Thomas, 1907
- Common name
- Silky 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 sericeus Thomas, 1907
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 |
| Moluccan CuscusPhalanger ornatus (Gray, 1860) | PhalangeridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Obi CuscusPhalanger rothschildi Thomas, 1898 | 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 |
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=552688 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. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
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:4FR64. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.