Common Brushtail Possum[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Infraclass:	Marsupialia
Order:	Diprotodontia
Family:	Phalangeridae
Genus:	Trichosurus
Species:	T. vulpecula
Binomial name
Trichosurus vulpecula (Kerr, 1792)

The Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula, from the Greek for "furry tailed" and the Latin for "little fox") is a nocturnal, semi-arboreal marsupial of the family Phalangeridae, it is native to Australia, and the largest of the possums.

Like most possums, the Common Brushtail is nocturnal. It is mainly a folivore, but has been known to eat small mammals such as rats. In most Australian habitats, leaves of Eucalyptus are a significant part of the diet but rarely the sole item eaten. The tail is prehensile and naked on its lower underside.

It is the Australian marsupial most often seen by city-dwellers, as it is one of few that thrive in cities as well as a wide range of natural and human-modified environments. Around human habitations, Common Brushtails are inventive and determined foragers with a liking for fruit trees, vegetable gardens, and kitchen raids.

In New Zealand, where it was introduced in the 1800s, it is a major agricultural and conservation pest.

[edit] Behaviour

This section includes a list of references or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (July 2008)

The Common Brushtail is a nocturnal folivore

During the day, Common Brushtails sleep in a den in a hollow tree or any other convenient place, notably ceiling spaces that are not securely sealed. Although primarily arboreal and not found in places without trees to provide refuge, they spend a good deal of time on the ground. They are able to stand upright.

The very loud hissing, crackling territorial call of the male Common Brushtail has a harsh quality. They have a number of other vocalisations, mainly consisting of pitched clicks. Most are also relatively quiet. Socially they may be solitary or they may form small groups which share territory.

Keeping of Brushtail Possums is prohibited in many areas, and they do not make good pets. If hand reared they will become tame to humans, but still keep an instinctive urge to explore their surrounding area which can bring them into contact with a number of threats. Not the least of which is the wild possums in the area which will be highly territorial and aggressive to any new possum. Feeding of hand reared possums is also involved, after weaning from a replacement possum milk formula they need a good mixture of native leaves and flowers, as well as fruits and vegetables. A common mistake is to feed captive possums solely on fruit and vegetables, which inhibits the correct development of gut microbes required for digestion, and can cause death.

[edit] Pest status in New Zealand

The Common Brushtail Possum was introduced into New Zealand to establish a fur industry and has now become a major agricultural and conservation pest.

[edit] References

This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (March 2009)

• Marsh, K. J., Wallis, I. R., & Foley, W. J. (2003). The effect of inactivating tannins on the intake of Eucalyptus foliage by a specialist Eucalyptus folivore (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) and a generalist herbivore (Trichosurus vulpecula). Australian Journal of Zoology, 51, 41-42.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trichosurus vulpecula

• Brushtail Possum
• Landcare Research NZ
• Brushtail Possum at Animal Diversity Web
• PossumBase