Identification
About the size of a cat, the Common Ringtail Possum is grey with white patches behind the eyes and on the belly, and orange-brown tinges on the tail and limbs. Its long prehensile tail has a white tip and it uses it like a fifth limb to climb and jump between connecting branches, fences and powerlines. The structure of its forefeet, with a gap between the second and third fingers allows the possum to hold onto branches securely.
Habitat
Almost exclusively tree-dwelling, the Common Ringtail Possum lives in in forests, woodlands, rainforests, dense scrub and suburban gardens. During the day, the Common Ringtail Possum sleeps in its spherical nest or 'drey' made from grass and shredded bark. It builds the drey in a tree hole, tree fork or dense vegetation, and several individuals may share the one nest.
Brushtail Possum
The bushy-tailed Brushtails are agile climbers and are more often heard than seen, especially during the mating season. About the size of a small cat, they have silvery fur, large ears as well as the dark bushy tail.
Baby Brushtails
Brushtails breed predominantly in the autumn, although those in tropical or dry areas will breed throughout the year if food is abundant.
Brushtails can breed at one year old, giving birth to a single baby 18 days after mating. The baby, like all marsupials, is blind and hairless and remains attached to a teat in the pouch where it develops rapidly over the next four to five months.
The Joey's first foray from the pouch is generally timed to coincide with warmer weather and the abundance of food provided by the onset of spring. It then spends another month or two coming and going from the pouch and riding on its mother's back
Brushtails are quite vocal and hiss and squabble amongst themselves quite a lot. Ringtails are much less vocal and usually only make a soft high pitched chirping twitter. The omnivorous common brush-tail possum does have a reputation as a scavenger of pet food amongst other things. This can bring it into conflict with some pets and their owners.
Urban expansion is putting pressure on native habitats, reducing the amount of natural environment for possums (and other animals) to live in. Many species of possums have proven capable of living in urban environments, although it's not always safe or easy. "From a possum's perspective, our houses and other buildings are ideal - warm, dry and close to an almost limitless food source thanks to our gardens and compost bins. If there are possums living in the roof, the most humane and practical way of removing these highly territorial animals is to provide alternate housing in the form of nest boxes placed in trees near the building. Shining a bright light in the ceiling for several days will help deter them from coming back and once you are sure the possum is not in the roof, have the roof repaired, to deter re-entry.
