Many of Australia’s wild life are vocal and you are likely to first notice their presence by the sound they make. But not so for the possum – you are more likely to see a possum before you hear it. The possum looks like a big cat with a pointed snout and pink nose.
There are several species of possum in Australia – the two most common are the brush tailed possum and the common ring tailed possum. Both species have large ears, long whiskers and sharp claws that they use for climbing. Ring-tailed possums however can be distinguished from brush-tails by two thumbs on each foot and the white tipped tail.
Ring-tail possums and brush-tails can be further told apart by their socialization and breeding habits. Ring-tails are the more sociable species and travel in groups that usually have two females, one male and a few young from the last mating season. The mating season of brush-tail possums is during autumn while that of the ring-tails could range from April to November depending on what part of Australia the possums are in.
The female brush-tail gives birth to one baby after an eighteen day gestation period. The baby remains in the mother’s pouch where it grows for the next four months. Ringtails on the other hand give birth to two young ones that both remain in the mothers pouch for four months. In both species, once the possum emerges from its mothers pouch, it still continues to cling onto her by hanging on her back for another six to seven months.
Possums prefer to live in forests as well as along creeks and rivers. The possum is largely a solitary nocturnal creature and has no problem living most of its life alone except during the mating season. Possums mark their territory by smearing the boundaries of their domain with a scent secreted from glands on their chests.
During nocturnal feeding rounds, possums will try and steer clear of each other to avoid confrontation. However, if a young possum trespasses onto an older possum’s territory and shows intent to take over, there is a strong likelihood of a fight. A possum’s natural diet consists of flowers, fruits, leaves and buds. However closer interaction with humans due to the encroachment of their habitats has somewhat increased their range of nutrition.
In fact, as immigration gained pace in the early years of the Australian colony, its negative effects on the possum’s habitat was evident. But the possum, unlike other animals, managed to positively adapt to the human invasion. While possums can sometimes be a nuisance by taking up uninvited residence in your roof and or sifting through your garbage at night; possums have largely endeared themselves to Australians.
Possum’s are protected by Australian law. If you have a resident possum in your roof, you cannot harm it in any way. The best you can do is to have it trapped and removed from your roof but only after obtaining a license from the government.
Back to the Australian animals overview
References:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2006/09/07/2041855.htm
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/animals/TheBrush-tailedPossum.htm
