Cercartetus

(also Cercaërtus), a genus of marsupials of the family Phalangeridae. The body measures 8–10 cm in length, and the tail 8–11 cm; the weight is 15–25 g. The pelage is dense and soft. The color of the back varies from grayish to black with reddish highlights; the abdomen is white. The pouch is well developed. There are two species, which are distributed in Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea. Both species are arboreal and breed twice a year, with four or five young in a litter. The common name is dormouse opossums; the Russian common name (sumchataia sonia) is sometimes also used to refer to the three species of the genus Eudromicia.