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Brushtail possum - TRICHOSURUS VULPECULA
Endangered
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Possum": The word "opossum" was taken from the Algonquian Indian word for the animal. Although other animals in South America and Australia are called "possums," they are not closely related to the Virginia animal, and only derive their name by dint of a generally similar shape. True opossums are unique to North America. The Latin name means "hairy-tailed little fox-like."
Location: Most of Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand.
Habitat: Arboreal, in all wooded and forested areas.
Description: The brushtail is a large, stout possum with a long bushy prehensile tail that lacks fur on the underside of the distal half. It has quite large, erect ears, large eyes, and a foxlike face. The dense woolly fur is usually silvery gray, but often nearly black on the back, and yellow or cream colored on the belly. Not including the tail, the brushtail grows from 12"to 23" long and weighs up to 11 lbs.
Behavior: The brushtail is still one of Australia's most common marsupials despite the fact that it is hunted for its fur. It is found virtually anywhere the eucalyptaus tree grows, and that even includes the arid interior where scattered eucalyptus trees hug the riverbanks. It is primarily arboreal, and usually spends the daytime sleeping inside a tree hollow, venturing short distances at night to browse upon leaves and buds, although it also likes insects and small animals. If there are no trees around, it will hide in shrubs or even in abandoned rabbit burrows.
Reproduction: The brushtail femail usually gives birth to a single baby after a gestation period of seventeen days. They breed only once or twice per year, with the young leaving the pouch after about five months.
Go to the Marsupials Page to get a general discussion of these animals.
Or go to the Opossum Index to study more opossums.
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