Bark Consumption by the Painted Ringtail ( Pseudochirulus forbesi larvatus ) in Papua New Guinea 1

We documented bark consumption by painted ringtails ( Pseudochirulus forbesi ) and other arboreal marsupials at Mt. Stolle, Papua New Guinea. Evidence consisted of scratch marks on the boles of trees in conjunction with the removal of all moss and direct sightings of animals eating bark. Only 43 trees ≥10 cm diameter at breast height (DBH) of 19 species showed signs of consumption at the study site; five of these species were confirmed by direct sighting to be consumed by painted ringtails. We sought to determine if bark of these trees contained important dietary minerals. Analyses showed that calcium and potassium, individually and combined, were significantly more abundant in eaten versus uneaten trees of the same species. On average, eaten trees showed 4.7 and 2.2 times the amount of these minerals, respectively, as found in uneaten trees. Adult males were more likely than adult females or juvenile males to be captured at eaten trees than away from them. Two species of Syzygium and one species of Sloanea were highly selected for bark consumption, but not all trees of a species were eaten; rather, particular individuals of these species were preferred. We conclude that bark appears to be an important source of calcium and potassium, and speculate on the relationship between the limited availability of these special trees and the social behavior of painted ringtails.