There
are a few different Australian
possum
species.
There are 27 species of possums in Australia. The group also
includes gliders and cuscuses.
They are all good tree climbers, some
like gliders even glide from tree to tree. They have forward-opening
pouches, and long tails that help them balance. They eat in trees and
nest in tree hollows and sometimes (particularly Brushtail
Possums) in roof cavities. They are territorial animals.
Australian Possum Species: Common Brushtail Possum
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecular) has
adapted to
different habitats like eastern eucalypt
forests, tropical rainforests of northern
Australia, and
the
karri forests of South-western
WA.
It also lives in urban areas and it is common that possums live in
roofs of peoples' houses, where where they are noisy and often
considered pests.
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The Common Brushtails
are grey or brownish up to 500mm long animals with lighter
cream-coloured belly, large ears and - as the name says - a brushy
tail. They are omnivores – they eat flowers, fruit, seeds, leaves, but
also insects,
eggs and sometimes even small birds.
Australian Possum Babies:
Brushtail
In southern Australia they breed in autumn and spring, but in northern
Australia where it is warmer, they breed all year around. Female gives
birth to one young, which stays in the pouch first and once it gets too
big, is carried around on its mother’s back until it’s independent.
Females mature at one year, males at two. Brushtails live up to 11
years, and their species status is secure. They are successful
animals and after they were intorduced to New Zealand from Australia,
they become the worst pest over there.
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Where to Look for Australian Possum Tracks
You can see Common Brushtail possums everywhere. Look up the trees in
city parks where they come to ground at night time. Because they often
live in house roofs you can see them on buildings and in people’s
yards. Good national parks to see Australian possums are Kosciuszko
National Park in New
South Wales, Wilsons
Promontory in Victoria
and Cradle
Mountain – Lake St Clair in Tasmania.
All the other possums are much less common and you would be lucky to
see them in the wild unless you go spotlighting during the night time.
Ringtail Possums and Greater Glider (Pseudocheiridae)
This
group includes seven species of ringtail possums and the Greater
Glider. They are all forest dwellers and nest in dreys, which are often
in the fork of a tree and lined with grass, sticks and leaves. They are
leaf eaters, and have a specialised digestive system to be able to eat
eucaypt leaves (According to a reader, appartently they love Lemon
Scented Gum). They include Common Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus
peregrinus), Western Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus
occidentalis),
Herbert River Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus herbertensis),
Daintree River Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus cinereus),
Rock
Ringtail Possum (Petropseudes dahli), Green Ringtail
Possum (Pseudchirops
archeri), Lemuroid Ringtail Possum (Hemibelideus
lemuroides)
and Greater Glider (Petauroides volans).
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Pygmy Possums (Burramyidae)
There are five species of pygmy possums in Australia, which all live in
the southern and eastern parts of the country. They eat nectar and
insects,
and are known to torpor (in some species even hibernate) during winter
due to cold weather and shortage of food. They include Eastern Pygmy
Possum (Cercartetus nanus), Western Pygmy Possum (Cercartetus
concinnus), Mountain Pygmy Possum (Burramys parvus),
Long-tailed Pygmy Possum (Cercartetus caudatus) and
Little Pygmy
Possum (Cercartetus lepidus).
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Honey Possum (Tarsipedidae)
Honey Possum (Tarsipes rostratus)
is the only member in its family and it is only found in South-western
Wester Australia. As the name says, it feeds on nectar and
pollen,
and
its Latin name points out that like tarsiers, it climbs without using
claws (it hasn't got any). They are social, nomadic animals and can
enter torpor when food is scarce.
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Cuscuses and Some Possums (Phalangeridae)
The members of this group are primarily herbivores, but some species
may occasionally eat small animals. They include Common Brushtail
Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), Short-eared
Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus
caninus), Mountain Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus
cunninghami),
Scaly-tailed Possum (Wyulda squamicaudata), Common
Spotted Cuscus
(Spilocuscus
maculatus) and Southern Common Cuscus (Phalanger
intercastellanus).
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Gliders and Some Possums (Petauridae)
This group includes four species of gliders and two species of possums.
They all have a dark stripe along their back, and the gliders have
membranes which help them glide. They are vocal animals, and most
species live in groups although some are solitary. They include Sugar
Glider (Petaurus breviceps), Mahogany Glider (Petaurus
gracilis)
Squirrel Glider (Petaurus norfolcensis),
Yellow-bellied Glider (Petaurus
australis), Striped Possum (Dactylopsila trivirgata)
and
Leadbeater's Possum (Gymnobelideus leadbeateri).
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Feathertail Glider (Acrobatidae)
Feathertail glider (Acrobatus pygmaeus
is the only species in its family. It has got a distinctive, feather
like tail. It is a small glider, lives in loose groups, eats both
insects and pollen, and is found in forests of eastern Australia.
Note:
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correct in the language used in Australia.
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