Here is one of our more recent visitors, who decided to inspect the inside of one of our classrooms! This particluar possum is a Brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). It is the size of a domestic cat with a pointed face, long oval ears, pink nose and bushy black tail.

The brushtail possum is a nocturnal marsupial spending the daytime asleep in its nest and feeding at night. They are a tree-living or arboreal animal and so are well adapted for climbing with their sharp claws; a hand-like back foot for grasping and a strong flexible (prehensile) tail for curling around branches. Brushtails also spend some time on the ground searching for food.

Their natural and preferred habitat is forest, where they nest in tree hollows. They will also cohabit with humans in cities and towns where they seek shelter, warmth and protection in the dark recesses of buildings. A favoured spot is between the ceiling and the roof and this can be a problem to some people. They can damage crops and gardens because they are partial to exotic plants, pasture grasses and vegetables as well as native plants.

Brushtail possums are herbivores or plant-eaters. In the bush they feed mainly on leaves of trees and shrubs, but they also enjoy succulent herbs, grasses, and garden plants. Meat or fat may occasionally be scavenged.

Brushtail possums lead a largely solitary life. However in areas where numbers are high and shelter is in short supply several may share sleeping places. Home ranges vary from 1 to 15 hectares. They communicate by sound and scent. Those ferocious sounding screeches and gutteral growls are used often, particularly in the breeding season, to ward off intruding possums near the nest or home range.

Brushtails rub secretions from glands to mark home ranges and define occupancy of a homesite. If a homesite is vacant or undefended because the occupant has died or been removed then another brushtail will claim it!

The brushtail possum is a nocturnal marsupial spending the daytime asleep in its nest and feeding at night. They are a tree-living or arboreal animal and so are well adapted for climbing with their sharp claws; a hand-like back foot for grasping and a strong flexible (prehensile) tail for curling around branches. Brushtails also spend some time on the ground searching for food.

The main breeding time is autumn. Most females breed annually after their first year. A single young is born about 17 days after mating and spends 4-5 months in the pouch, attached to one of 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. As with macropods, milk composition is known to change throughout the course of lactation.

Like many of our native animals, mortality is high once the young brushtail possums leave the pouch to establish their own home range. The majority of brushtails killed on our roads are young males. Their main predators are foxes and cats, but if lucky a possum can live to 11 years old!