The mountain pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus) is one of five living species of pygmy possums and the largest of them. They have distinctive “buzz saw” premolar teeth. They dwell in the alpine and subalpine regions of south-eastern Australia and are the only mammals to be entirely restricted to this area. Only less than 2500 adult mountain pygmy-possums are alive now and they all dwell in a range less than 10 square kilometer.

As distinguished from most other possums, the mountain pygmy-possums prefer to live on the ground. Males and females are separated most time of a year. Females and their young occupy the most convenient habitat. The mountain pygmy-possum is also the only Australian marsupial that hibernates for long periods during the winter. Mating begins in early spring when the possums emerge from their winter sleep.

As the species occupies only a tiny area, it's constantly endangered. The mountain pygmy-possum suffer a lot from the building of the ski slopes in the Australian Alps. Global warming, predation and bushfires also put the species at serious risk.

More Info: theconversation.com