Marsupials in the United States

Great Argus

Great Argus

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
I was thinking on how marsupials are really pretty commonplace here in the United States, but really only a few species of the diprodonts are widely represented. Only the red and gray kangaroos, and the red-necked wallaby seem pretty common.
Species that seem to be established to some degree include yellow-footed rock wallaby, koala, matchsie's tree kangaroo, and the virginia opossum.
A few facilities house hairy-nosed and common wombats, tasmanian devils, and parma wallabies, and I believe the yapok is now gone.

So my question is, are there some of the rarer species of marsupial still around here and there? And are any of them increasing in population here in the states? I know various possums, gliders, and others have been around at points, but they apparently have not been popular and established?
 
Sugar Gliders are common in zoos and the private trade.

Smithsonian has the only Common Opossum on public display in the US, although a few are kept privately.

Gray Short-Tailed Possums are common in the private trade and in a few zoos.
 
birdsandbats said:
Sugar Gliders are common in zoos and the private trade.
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I was under the impression that Sugar Gliders were not that common in zoos. I cannot remember any zoo I've been to having them. And looking over the recent nocturnal house thread, Sugar Gliders appear mainly in the older lists, and I didn't see any listed in the few US facilities. I know they are present in the pet trade (legally? or illegally?) but they seem to be lacking in public collections. Do you know facilities housing them? Either on or off display?
 
Great Argus said:
I was under the impression that Sugar Gliders were not that common in zoos. I cannot remember any zoo I've been to having them. And looking over the recent nocturnal house thread, Sugar Gliders appear mainly in the older lists, and I didn't see any listed in the few US facilities. I know they are present in the pet trade (legally? or illegally?) but they seem to be lacking in public collections. Do you know facilities housing them? Either on or off display?
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Just in my area, Milwaukee County Zoo, Henry Vilas Zoo, and Special Memories Zoo all have Sugar Gliders. And yes, Sugar Glider trade is legal.
 
I am not sure we can say that Virginia opossums are "established" in US zoos... They are certainly kept in quite a few places, but just because they are a native species and rescue animals are frequently available. As far as I know, there is no sustainable breeding population.

The other marsupial species, not yet mentioned on this thread, that still can be seen with some regularity in the US are tammar and parma wallabies, and bettongs. Several zoos still have wallaroos and pygmy acrobat gliders. San Diego Zoo has (or had until very recently) some Australian common ring-tail possums - they only ones outside of Australia as far as I know - and there was some breeding. Several years ago, Busch Gardens in Tampa had a ground cuscus on exhibit, but I don't know if it's still alive. There probably are still a few swamp wallabies left (but as far as I know, no US zoo maintains a breeding group and all that are left are a few singles, probably aged also). I am also not sure about whether we have any agile wallabies left. About 10 years ago I have seen a sizable breeding group in Kangaroo Conservation Center in Georgia, but the place has now closed and I don't know where the wallabies went.

I think this (together with the species already mentioned) is about it. Unfortunately we have quite recently lost some interesting species - tiger quolls (I saw the last one in Columbus several years ago), striped possum (I saw one of the last ones in Philadelphia also some years ago), yapok. On the other hand devils have reappeared in the US, which is very nice, I hope they last.
 
zoo_enthusiast said:
I am not sure we can say that Virginia opossums are "established" in US zoos... They are certainly kept in quite a few places, but just because they are a native species and rescue animals are frequently available. As far as I know, there is no sustainable breeding population.

The other marsupial species, not yet mentioned on this thread, that still can be seen with some regularity in the US are tammar and parma wallabies, and bettongs. Several zoos still have wallaroos and pygmy acrobat gliders. San Diego Zoo has (or had until very recently) some Australian common ring-tail possums - they only ones outside of Australia as far as I know - and there was some breeding. Several years ago, Busch Gardens in Tampa had a ground cuscus on exhibit, but I don't know if it's still alive. There probably are still a few swamp wallabies left (but as far as I know, no US zoo maintains a breeding group and all that are left are a few singles, probably aged also). I am also not sure about whether we have any agile wallabies left. About 10 years ago I have seen a sizable breeding group in Kangaroo Conservation Center in Georgia, but the place has now closed and I don't know where the wallabies went.

I think this (together with the species already mentioned) is about it. Unfortunately we have quite recently lost some interesting species - tiger quolls (I saw the last one in Columbus several years ago), striped possum (I saw one of the last ones in Philadelphia also some years ago), yapok. On the other hand devils have reappeared in the US, which is very nice, I hope they last.
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That's true. Established wasn't the right word to use for Virginia opossum. Common in facilities but mostly rescues.

Interesting! Didn't know there was a cuscus that recently.

Seems pretty small comparatively to the large number of marsupials. Hope Tasmanian Devils become a little more established.
 
Great Argus said:
Is San Diego's also ground cuscus?
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Yes. The only other publicly kept cuscus I’m aware of in the US is a Sulawesi best cuscus at Memphis.

I do not believe agile wallabies are kept anywhere anymore. Gladys Porter does still have potoroos. Swamp wallabies are in very low numbers, with some breeding in the private trade. Multiple species of opossum and possum are available privately.
 
jayjds2 said:
Swamp wallabies are in very low numbers, with some breeding in the private trade. Multiple species of opossum and possum are available privately.
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Not surprised to hear a lot available from the private trade, though considering the appearance and nocturnal behavior of most, one wouldn't think they'd be all that popular.
 
jayjds2 said:
Yes. The only other publicly kept cuscus I’m aware of in the US is a Sulawesi best cuscus at Memphis.
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Did you mean Sulawesi bear cuscus? I assume they came in recently - I visited Memphis in 2013 and they did not have cuscus then. Didn't know we have any in the US, but then Europe had a recent importation so it doesn't really surprise me that someone in US obtained them as well.
 
Great Argus said:
Are cuscuses rare due to import difficulties or are they hard to keep alive? Or is there just not enough interest?
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I think lack of interest is the main reason:( They are not too easy to keep alive, but not impossible: ground cuscus is established in Europe, and two more species are exhibited over there in much smaller numbers - bear cuscus in 2 collections (per zootierliste), and a single spotted cuscus in one zoo
 
zoo_enthusiast said:
Did you mean Sulawesi bear cuscus? I assume they came in recently - I visited Memphis in 2013 and they did not have cuscus then. Didn't know we have any in the US, but then Europe had a recent importation so it doesn't really surprise me that someone in US obtained them as well.
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Yes, pardon my typo. I saw in in 2017 but I know it was present before that. There are two species of cuscus which have been imported privately (one of which has bred) but no zoos have acquired any yet.
 
zoo_enthusiast said:
I think lack of interest is the main reason:( They are not too easy to keep alive, but not impossible: ground cuscus is established in Europe, and two more species are exhibited over there in much smaller numbers - bear cuscus in 2 collections (per zootierliste), and a single spotted cuscus in one zoo
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That's unfortunate as they are quite unusual creatures. Wonder if eventually some of the ground cuscus from Europe will make their way over here.
 
jayjds2 said:
Yes, pardon my typo. I saw in in 2017 but I know it was present before that. There are two species of cuscus which have been imported privately (one of which has bred) but no zoos have acquired any yet.
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That's very interesting! Are you comfortable sharing which two species of cuscus are privately kept? Also, as an aside question, when you visited Memphis in 2017 were the slender lorises also on exhibit? I don't know if any other facility that keeps them in the US, but they were off exhibit in 2013...
 
zoo_enthusiast said:
That's very interesting! Are you comfortable sharing which two species of cuscus are privately kept? Also, as an aside question, when you visited Memphis in 2017 were the slender lorises also on exhibit? I don't know if any other facility that keeps them in the US, but they were off exhibit in 2013...
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Sure- Phalanger orientalis and P. ornatus.

At Memphis, the slender loris were signed but I tried very hard to see them and was unsuccessful. I went to the nocturnal house first with hopes of doing so, and I saw every other animal but them...
 
jayjds2 said:
Sure- Phalanger orientalis and P. ornatus.

At Memphis, the slender loris were signed but I tried very hard to see them and was unsuccessful. I went to the nocturnal house first with hopes of doing so, and I saw every other animal but them...
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Thanks a lot for the info! I guess the repeat visit to Memphis is overdue. Cuscus and slender loris are both must see species for me:) I am also now excited about the other cuscus species. Maybe there is still hope in seeing them in a US zoo, if they get established, though the lack of interest and the decline of the nocturnal houses make me sceptical.
 
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