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Hi all, I just did some work on thecuscus article to add a full list of cuscus genera and species in table format and noticed that our classification of cuscuses seems to have fallen behind the recent literature due to reliance on MSW3 and/or older IUCN assessments. I utilised volume 5 of theHandbook of the Mammals of the World (published 2015) as my primary reference, and double checked each taxon atMammal Diversity Database. I chose to follow HMW's classification on the basis that is the most recent complete taxonomy of the group with no reasonable alternative, but have noted differences from MSW3/IUCN taxonomy with footnotes where applicable. I know the guidance at this project is to follow MSW3or MDD and the IUCN, but MSW3's age and the glacial speed at which new IUCN assessments are released has us lagging behind. Here are the discrepancies I've noticed between HMW/MDD and Wikipedia:
Ailurops furvus (mountain bear cuscus), previously considered a subspecies ofAilurops ursinus, is recognised as a distinct species but has no Wikipedia article and is not mentioned at the genus orA. ursinus article. HMW notes thatA. furvus is endemic to Sulawesi highlands (cf.A. ursinus, found in lowland Sulawesi,Lembeh,Muna Island, andButon Island) and retainsA. u. ursinus,A. u. flavissimus, andA. u. togianus as subspecies ofA. ursinus. MDD notes"split from A. ursinus based on morphology, although more data is needed to confirm this", so I see a case for waiting for further research before creating an article, but this definitely warrants mention in theAilurops andA. ursinus articles.
HMW and MDD recogniseStrigocuscus pelengensis as a species ofPhalanger, notStrigocuscus, based on genetic evidence fromMeredith et al. 2009.MSW and theIUCN acknowledges both placements (Phalanger pelengensis is thebasionym) but lists the species inStrigocuscus and refers the reader to Groves (1987) for current status, which I couldn't find. The Wikipedia article is currently located at the common name Banggai cuscus, but HMW/MDD and the IUCN prefer the common name Peleng cuscus.
Spilocuscus nudicaudatus (Australian spotted cuscus), previously considered a subspecies ofSpilocuscus maculatus, is recognised as a distinct species but has no Wikipedia article and is not mentioned at the genus orS. maculatus article. This separates the Australian spotted cuscuses from the common spotted cuscuses of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. MDD cites Jackson and Groves'Taxonomy of Australian Mammals (2015) for this split, but I could not access this. Again, I see a case for waiting for IUCN recognition before creating an article, but this similarly warrants mention in theSpilocuscus andS. maculatus articles.
Strigocuscus sangirensis (small Sangihe cuscus), previously considered a subspecies ofStrigocuscus celebensis, is recognised as a distinct species but has no Wikipedia article and is not mentioned at the genus orS. celebensis article. MDD simply cites HMW for this split, and this one seems to have the least evidence (that I could find, anyway) for the split, however, again, this warrants mention at theStrigocuscus andS. celebensis articles.
Frankly, I am out of my depth with all this mammal taxonomy nonsense - I just wanted the cuscus article to actually list all the species of cuscuses in a nice looking table! I would much appreciate it if someone could take a look at the taxa I mentioned and update their articles to at least mention the taxonomy given in more recent publications. Cheers,Ethmostigmus 🌿 (talk |contribs)11:31, 28 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Two years I went through the taxonomy forList of phalangeriformes (and again forList of diprotodonts), following the guidance atWikipedia:WikiProject Mammals#Guidelines for taxonomy (use MSW3, and adjust where IUCN and MDD agree). Wikipedia articles don't always align with these guidelines when editors feel that they prefer to follow newer research, but for the lists at least I stick to them. For these four species, then:
Ailurops furvus: MSW3 does not have, IUCN does not have, MDD does have. Result: not included
Strigocuscus pelengensis: MSW3 has atStrigocuscus, IUCN has atStrigocuscus, MDD has atPhalanger. You say that MSW3 and IUCN allow both placements, but they don't, they just say that there's a minority opinion forPhalanger while listing the species inStrigocuscus. Result:Strigocuscus
Spilocuscus nudicaudatus: MSW3 does not have, IUCN does not have, MDD does have. Result: not included
Strigocuscus sangirensis: MSW3 does not have, IUCN does not have, MDD does have. Result: not included
I think it's reasonable to mention these proposals at relevant articles, but by the letter of the guidelines they're all at the right place now. --PresN11:53, 28 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]
"Brown fur seal" is NOT of the common name ofArctocephalus pusillus
As I stated on the article's talk page, the Society from Marine MammalogylistsArctocephalus pusillus as 'Cape fur seal' with subspecies being 'Cape fur seal' (sensu stricto) and 'Australian fur seal'. Likewise google scholar searches for'brown fur seal' and'Arctocephalus pusillus' shows that it is not used in the scientific literature. Therefore, this article should be renamed 'Cape fur seal' orArctocephalus pusillus.LittleJerry (talk)17:23, 31 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Could you help todisambiguate links toAustralian fur seal please? It is generally better for readers to link to specific articles rather than disambiguation pages. You can identify them by going to your "preferences" via the drop down list - top right of your screen, and choosing "Preferences" and then the tab for "Gadgets", You then scroll down to "Appearance" and putting a tick next to "Display links to disambiguation pages in orange". There are currently 16 links shown atDablink list for Australian fur seal. Any help appreciated.—Rodtalk08:45, 11 November 2025 (UTC)[reply]
