Possum

A possum is any of about 25 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupials native to Australia. The name derives from their resemblance to the opossums of the Americas and, unlike most names applied to Australian fauna in the early years of European colonisation, happens to be accurate: the opossums of America are distant relatives. (The name is from Algonquian wapathemwa, not Greek or Latin, so the plural is possums, not *possa.) Possum is also used in North America as a diminutive for the Virginia opossum.

Possums are small marsupials with brown or grey fur, ranging in size from the length of a finger (pygmy possums and sugar gliders), to the length of a forearm (brushtails and ringtails). 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. They fill much the same role in the Australian ecosystem that squirrels fill in the northern hemisphere and are broadly similar in appearance.

The two most common species of possums, the Common Brushtail and Common Ringtail, are also among the largest.

Predators

Native predators

Brushtail possums are eaten by many species of carnivores including the Carpet Python, Powerful Owl, Wedge-tailed Eagle and dingoes.

Introduced predators

The feral cat, wild dog, dingo and introduced fox may also prey on possums in the wild.

Interaction with humans

The animal has been a part of Australian culture and folklore since the original indigenous inhabitants of the country. Indigenous Australians once used possum hides whilst playing the traditional game of Marn Grook. In modern times, the phrase "Hello possums!" made famous by satirist Barry Humphries' character Dame Edna Everage has become a celebrated catchphrase.

Possums are commonly found in suburban areas, where they are often considered pests owing to their habit of eating fruit, vegetables, flowers and tender young shoots from gardens, and nesting in roofs. The loud hissing, crackling territorial call of the male Common Brushtail may also be a problem for suburban residents. Natural deterrents which play upon the possum's acute sense of smell are often employed to discourage them. These include cloves of garlic, camphor or naphthalene. As a native species possums are protected by regulations, even when they reside in urban neighbourhoods, and cannot be baited. They cannot be killed as pests, and if captured the regulations stipulate that they must be released within a small radius of that locality, since they are territorial creatures. Preventative measures such as blocking off their access to the roof spaces or building a possum nesting box for an alternative home are instead recommended.

When threatened, a possum will climb the nearest tree, where he feels invincible.

Although the Common Brushtail and (to a lesser extent) Ringtail possums have adapted well to the urban environment, many of the lesser-known species are reduced in number, threatened, or endangered.

Introduction into New Zealand

The Common Brushtail and Common Ringtail possums were introduced to New Zealand by Europeans in an (unsuccessful) attempt to establish a fur industry.

They soon escaped into the wild where they have thrived; the Brushtail in particular has become established as an invasive species with great numbers: around 60 million individuals estimated. There are few native predators of the possum in New Zealand. There have been numerous attempts to eradicate them because of the damage they do to native trees and wildlife, as well as acting as a carrier of bovine tuberculosis. For New Zealand, the introduction of possums has resulted in almost as much of an ecological disaster as the introduction of rabbits has been in Australia.

Species information

About two-thirds of Australian marsupials ( magnorder Australidelphia) belong to the order Diprotodontia, which is split into three suborders: the Vombatiformes (wombats and the Koala, 4 species in total); the large and diverse Phalangeriformes (the possums and gliders) and Macropodiformes (kangaroos, potoroos, wallabies and the Musky Rat-kangaroo).

Families of suborder Phalangeriformes:

• Phalangeridae (brushtail possums and cuscuses)
  • Southern Common Cuscus Phalanger intercastellanus
  • Common Spotted Cuscus Spilocuscus maculatus
  • Mountain Brushtail Possum Trichosurus caninus
  • Common Brushtail Possum Trichosurus vulpecula
  • Scaly-tailed Possum Wyulda squamicaudata
  • Sulawesi Bear Cuscus
• Burramyidae pygmy possums
  • Mountain Pygmy Possum Burramys parvus
  • Long-tailed Pygmy Possum Cercartetus caudatus
  • Western Pygmy Possum Cercartetus concinnus
  • Little Pygmy Possum Cercartetus lepidus
  • Eastern Pygmy Possum Cercartetus nanus
• Tarsipedidae Honey Possum
  • Honey Possum or Noolbenger Tarsipes rostratus
• Petauridae mostly gliders
  • Striped Possum Dactylopsila trivergata
  • Leadbeater's Possum Gymnobelideus leadbeateri
  • Yellow-bellied Glider Petaurus australis
  • Sugar Glider Petaurus breiceps
  • Mahogany Glider Petaurus gracilis
  • Squirrel Glider Petaurus norfolcensis
• Pseudocheiridae mostly ringtailed possums
  • Lemuroid Ringtail Possum Hemibelideus lemuroides
  • Greater Glider Petauroides volans
  • Rock Ringtail Possum Petropseudes dahli
  • Western Ringtail Possum Pseudocheirus occidentalis
  • Common Ringtail Possum Pseudocheirus peregrinus
  • Green Ringtail Possum Pseudocheirus archeri
  • Daintree Ringtail Possum Pseudocheirus cinereus
  • Herbert River Ringtail Possum Pseudocheirus herbertensis)
• Acrobatidae Feathertail gliders
  • Feathertail Glider Acrobates pygmaeus
  • Feathertail Possum Distoechurus pennatus