Learning Common Spotted Cuscus Sleeping Habits

I guess all two-year-olds go through a time of waking up in the middle of the night, wanting to get in bed with mom and dad. I thought I was past that stage until early this morning when I heard the pitter-patter of our two-year-old, little Newt. I heard her nails hitting the floor and barely opened my eyes to see her sniffing around. I called to her. She startled and then sniffed at my outstretched arm. I lifted up the sheets and up on to the bed she crawled, curled up, and we both fell back to sleep.

I am not an expert on the common spotted cuscus; however, being around Newt these last couple of years has taught us a little about their behavior. What you will read online is that they are solitary creatures, they guard their territory, and they are nocturnal. Over the last couple of years I have observed that when Newt wanders around and finds a place on her own to sleep in the rafters or under my bed, she sleeps in a position much like she would out in the jungle.

She sits, hunched over, tail curled up between her legs right under her chin. She nods off to sleep but easily opens her eyes if she hears anything. However, when Newt is fed, content, and safe, when she has been wrapped up in a blanket and her head petted until her eyes close, she will inevitably be found later sleeping completely stretched out on her back. She falls into a deep sleep and no matter how many kisses she is given or how many exclamations of adoration are said, she can’t be woken.

She likes to be close to one of us and isn’t bothered at all by us bringing her a variety of leaves and fruit at her every whim. Although she is more alert at night, we have found she has more the sleeping habits of a cat—she naps ‘round the clock.

Being that she is nocturnal, I may let the nighttime waking slide; I am just thankful she is potty-trained!