Common Brushtail Possum

(Trichosurus vulpecula) - Hairy tail, little fox

http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/wildlife/mammals/btposs.html

Distribution

Throughout KI, coastal regions of Eastern, Southern and South-Western Australia. Also, a small patch in central Australia!

Habitat

Wet and dry sclerophyll forest and woodland, in fallen logs, tree hollows and canopies and dense vegetation on the ground.

Size

Head and body: 35-55cm; tail: 25-40cm.

Breeding

The main breeding time for the Common Brushtail Possum is Autumn. Most females breed after their first year, with a single young being born 17-18 days after mating. The young will spend 4-5 months in its mothers pouch, attached to one of the two teats. A further 1-2 months are spent suckling and riding on the mothers back until fully weaned. You will see this from September to November.

Identification

Long, bushy, black tail. Grey fur, large ears and distinct pink nose. Large feet with five claws. If threatened will make hisses and barks, followed by a potential claw and tooth attack!

General Info:

• The range of this species includes every major Australian city except for Darwin. It is therefore an extremely familiar marsupial for many Aussies.
• The KI Brushtail possum is larger than the mainland Brushtail possum, and spends much more of its time feeding on the ground, possibly due to a lack of predators such as foxes.
• The Brushtail possum eats a wide range of foods anything from shoots and leaves from native or exotic plants to berries, fruits and buds. They have become a huge problem in many areas with raiding rubbish bins and nesting in the rafters of suburban homes. Like most possums, it is nocturnal and will hide during the day in tree hollows or fallen logs.
• They can often be seen at the camp sites on the property in Vivonne Bay. Ensure all the food is put away safely and the rubbish is locked in the trailer otherwise the possums will get into it causing problems.
• It was introduced to New Zealand in the 1830's where it has now become a pest species.
• When looking for kangaroos on a night drive possums are also seen easily identified being the size of a small cat and giving a red reflection from their eyes commonly known as 'eye shine'.
• Note: The Common Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) is also found on KI, but only in low numbers on the western half of the island. In 1926 they were introduced by Europeans to KI, however it not known whether they existed there already

Wild Guide

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Kangaroo Island Travel Guide

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