Scientists are scrambling to find the first Australian mammal at risk of becoming extinct because of climate change.

The rare white lemuroid possum, a nocturnal animal, native to the Daintree rainforest in Tropical North Queensland, has not been seen for three years.  The possum has only ever been found at 1000m or higher in the 1300m Carbine range.

Professor Stephen Williams of James Cook University in Queensland has expressed concern that the animal may have become extinct due to rising temperatures.

Just four or five hours of temperatures over 30 degrees could wipe out the highly-vulnerable species, because under extreme heat they are unable to maintain their body temperature, said Williams.

If a last-ditch search of Queensland's cloud forests by researchers next year reaps no rewards, the white possum will be confirmed to be the first Australian mammal to die as a direct result of global warming.

Williams said the tree-dwelling white possum, which is only found above 1000m in the mountain forests, had not been seen in its natural habitat since the area experienced a temperature rise of more than 0.5 of a degree.

"It was quite depressing going back on the last field trip a couple of weeks ago, going back night after night thinking ok, we'll find one tonight, but no we still didn't find any.  We tried several different areas. We did quite an intense effort without finding a single individual," said Williams.

Williams admits he was still "a way off" from proving the animal had become extinct.

"The fact that it has declined to such a degree that we can't find one suggests a very serious impact regardless of whether it's actually completely gone extinct.  If they have died out it would be first example of something that has gone extinct purely because of global warming," said Williams.

He said relocation of any found possums was an option, possibly to their only other known habitat in the Atherton Tablelands, south of Cairns.  THE END.