Brushtail Possum

Trichosurus vulpecula

Appearance

•   Brushtail Possums are small marsupials with brown or grey fur
•   They have bushy tail with long white-tipped and a naked area below the tip.
•   There are dark patches on their muzzle and white patches below the large pointed ear

Lifecycle

•  They reach maturity between one and two years old with an average life span of four years.
•  Females produce one pouch young each year.

Habits

•  Possums successfully adapted to a wide range of habitats due to a plentiful food source and lack of predators.
•  Possums browse on woody plant species, shrubs and grasses. They feed selectively on new shoots and leaves, destroying trees and permanently changing the forest composition.
•  They also cause havoc in orchards, nurseries and domestic gardens.
•  Possums are a known vector of Bovine Tuberculosis (Tb) and have the ability to seriously affect export trade earnings and land values.
•  All possums are nocturnal and omnivorous, hiding in a nest in a hollow tree during the day and coming out during the night to forage for food.