Which Australian marsupial is adapted to hibernate through alpine winters?

The mountain pygmy possum is the Australian marsupial adapted to hibernate through alpine winters.

It is a tiny possum found only in the high mountains of southeastern Australia. During winter, snow covers its habitat and food becomes scarce, so the animal enters prolonged torpor and relies on stored body energy. This makes it unusual among Australian marsupials.

Mountain pygmy possums feed on insects, seeds, fruit, and nectar, including seasonal Bogong moths. Their breeding cycle is closely tied to alpine food availability. Females can delay implantation, allowing young to develop when conditions are more favourable.

The species is threatened by climate change, reduced snow cover, habitat fragmentation, and changes in Bogong moth movements. Because it occupies isolated mountain regions, it has limited ability to shift its range as temperatures rise. It is not the same animal as the much more widespread common possum.