Common Brushtail Possum
Conservation status
Least concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Infraclass: Marsupialia Order: Diprotodontia Family: Phalangeridae Genus: Trichosurus Species: T. vulpecula
Binomial name
Trichosurus vulpecula (Kerr, 1792)

The Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula, from the Greek for "furry tailed" and the Latin for "little fox") is the largest possum, and the Australian marsupial most often seen by city-dwellers, since it is one the very few that thrives in cities as well as a wide range of natural and human-modified environments. Despite its resemblance to a fox's brush, the characteristic tail is prehensile and is naked on its lower underside. Image File history File linksMetadata Brushtail_possum. ... The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive either in the present day or the future. ... Image File history File links Status_iucn2. ... Least Concern (LC) is an IUCN category assigned to species or lower taxa which do not qualify for any other category. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. ... Animalia redirects here. ... Typical Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... Subclasses Subclass Allotheria* Order Docodonta (extinct) Order Multituberculata (extinct) Order Palaeoryctoides (extinct) Order Triconodonta (extinct) Order Volaticotheria (extinct) Subclass Prototheria Order Monotremata Subclass Theria Infraclass Trituberculata (extinct) Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria The mammals are the class of vertebrate animals characterized by the production of milk in females for the nourishment... Orders Superorder Ameridelphia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Superorder Australidelphia Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Marsupials are mammals in which the female typically has a pouch (called the marsupium, from which the name Marsupial derives) in which it rears its young through early infancy. ... Suborders Vombatiformes Phalangeriformes Macropodiformes Diprotodontia is a large taxon of about 120 marsupial mammals including the kangaroos, wallabies, possums, Koala, wombats, and many others. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... Robert Kerr (1755 - October 11, 1813) was a scientific writer and translator from Scotland. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... Superfamilies and Families Phalangeroidea Burramyidae Phalangeridae Petauroidea Pseudocheiridae Petauridae Tarsipedidae Acrobatidae A possum is any of about 64 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupial species native to Australia, New Guinea and Sulawesi. ... Orders Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Sparassodonta (extinct) Marsupials are mammals in which the female typically has a pouch (called the marsupium, from which the name Marsupial derives) in which it rears its young through early infancy. ... Prehensility is the quality of an organ that has adapted for grasping or holding. ...

Like most possums, the Common Brushtail is nocturnal. It is mainly a folivore, but supplements its usual diet of leaves with fruit, invertebrates, flowers, buds, and whatever else is available. In most Australian habitats, leaves of Eucalyptus are a significant part of the diet but rarely the sole item eaten. This is probably because of the tannins and other chemical defences present in eucalypt leaves. Around human habitations, Common Brushtails are inventive and determined foragers with a liking for fruit trees, vegetable gardens, and kitchen raids. A nocturnal animal is one that sleeps during the day and is active at night - the opposite of the human (diurnal) schedule. ... In Zoology, a folivore is an animal that specializes in eating leaves. ...

Brushtail Possum in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Brushtail Possum in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

They are highly inquisitive and live in troupes of about a dozen individuals with a complex social structure not dissimilar from wolves and primates. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 395 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1439 × 2185 pixel, file size: 933 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 395 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1439 × 2185 pixel, file size: 933 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3024x1998, 4339 KB) Summary Common Brushtail Possum, Daniel Andrews, Sydney, Australia Bookhouse www. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3024x1998, 4339 KB) Summary Common Brushtail Possum, Daniel Andrews, Sydney, Australia Bookhouse www. ...

During the day, Common Brushtails sleep in a den in a hollow tree or any other convenient place, notably ceiling spaces that are not securely sealed. Although primarily aboreal and not found in places without trees to provide refuge, they spend a good deal of time on the ground. They are able to stand upright.

The very loud hissing, crackling territorial call of the male Common Brushtail has a harsh quality. They have a number of other vocalizations, mainly consisting of pitched clicks. Most are also relatively quiet. Socially they may be solitary or they may form small groups which share territory.

Although prohibited in many areas, Common Brushtail possums make excellent pets if they are given sufficient forested space. They are easy to feed with the vegetarian part of a human diet making a fairly complete possum diet.

New Zealand

European settlers aiming to establish a fur industry introduced the Common Brushtail to New Zealand, where there are now about 60 million Common Brushtail Possums. Their introduction has been ecologically damaging because the native vegetation has evolved in the absence of mammalian herbivores. The possums do particular damage to broadleaved trees, notably rata, leading to canopy collapse and potentially competing for food with native forest birds. They do not have so much impact on Southern Beech (Nothofagus), but their presence tends to reduce the species diversity of Nothofagus forest since they eat many of the other species that would naturally be present. They are said to prey on bird eggs and chicks by New Zealand farm forestry interests^{[citation needed]}. Possums are also said to be vectors of bovine tuberculosis which provides a major threat for cattle and farmed deer although the transmission path has not been discovered nor proven to even exist^{[citation needed]}. Attempts to reduce numbers by trapping and poisoning have had only short-term success, and the poisons used, usually sodium monofluoroacetate (1080) or cyanide are environmental hazards in themselves resulting in many consumers avoiding food exports from New Zealand due to such contamination^{[citation needed]}. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into invasive species. ... A deer and two fawns feeding on some foliage A herbivore is often defined as any organism that eats only plants[1]. By that definition, many fungi, some bacteria, many animals, about 1% of flowering plants and some protists can be considered herbivores. ... Species Metrosideros robusta A. Cunn Metrosideros umbellata Cav. ... Species Nothofagus alpina - Rauli Beech Nothofagus antarctica - Antarctic Beech Nothofagus betuloides - Magellanes Beech Nothofagus cunninghamii - Myrtle Beech Nothofagus dombeyi - Coigüe Beech Nothofagus fusca - Red Beech Nothofagus gunnii - Tanglefoot Beech Nothofagus menziesii - Silver Beech Nothofagus moorei - Negrohead Beech Nothofagus obliqua - Roble Beech Nothofagus pumilio - Lenga Beech Nothofagus solanderi - Black Beech... 1080 is the commonly used name for sodium fluoroacetate (also known as sodium monofluoroacetate), a potent metabolic poison used primarily to control mammallian pests. ... The cyanide ion, CN−. From the top: 1. ...

To prevent damage to young trees it seems to be necessary to keep numbers very low, perhaps 5% of the levels that would be reached without interference. The possum is widely regarded in New Zealand as a major ecological threat, and some forestry industry funded ecological organisations such as the Ecologic Foundation encourage its elimination; however its impacts are compounded by those of other introduced species such as Red Deer and goats, not to mention human activities such as agriculture, forestry, and mining. The New Zealand Department of Conservation is the largest single agency involved in possum control and much possum control is also carried by councils and regional authorities to combat the threat of bovine tuberculosis. The Ecologic Foundation is based in Nelson, New Zealand. ... Binomial name Cervus elaphus Linnaeus, 1758 Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) is one of the largest species of deer in the world. ... Species See Species and subspecies The goat is a mammal in the genus Capra, which consists of nine species: the Ibex, the West Caucasian Tur, the East Caucasian Tur, the Markhor, and the Wild Goat. ... The Department of Conservation (In Māori, Te Papa Atawhai), commonly known by its acronym, DOC, is the state sector organisation of New Zealand which deals with the conservation of New Zealand’s natural and historic heritage. ...

A small fur industry was developed, and possum trapping and shooting continues to the present day, and the fur is often sold as 'eco-fur'. The numbers of animals take for fur is significant in relation to the numbers killed in poisoning. Environmentalists question whether the industry is compatible with the aim of drastically reducing or eliminating possums. Auckland company Arex International is exporting possum carcasses to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia for human consumption, where possum is known as the delicacy kiwi bear.

United States

The Common Brushtail Possum has also been introduced to North America and possibly the Eurasian continent. Environmental effects have so far been relatively minor perhaps due to the presence of predators that prevent population densities from becoming excessive.

Gallery

Common Brushtail Possum Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2134 × 1600 pixel, file size: 633 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) An Australian Brushtail Possum File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Common Brushtail...

Common Brushtail Possum eating leaves of a fruit tree Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2000 × 1500 pixel, file size: 663 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The common Brush tailed possum Trichosurus vulpecula File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not...

Common Brushtail Possum - Grampians National Park, Victoria, Australia Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2000 × 1500 pixel, file size: 547 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The common Brush tailed possum Trichosurus vulpecula File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 768 pixel, file size: 416 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ...

References

• Australasian Marsupial & Monotreme Specialist Group (1996). Trichosurus vulpecula. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006.
• Cowan, P. E., et al. (1997). Effects of possum browsing on northern rata, Orongorongo valley, Wellington, New Zealand. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 27, 173-179.
• Marsh, K. J., Wallis, I. R., & Foley, W. J. (2003). The effect of inactivating tannins on the intake of Eucalyptus foliage by a specialist Eucalyptus folivore (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) and a generalist herbivore (Trichosurus vulpecula). Australian Journal of Zoology, 51, 41-42.
• Payton, I. J., et al. (1997). Response of selected tree species to culling of introduced Australian brushtail possums Trichosurus vulpecula at Waipoua Forest, Northland, New Zealand. Biological Conservation, 81, 247-255.
• Rogers, G. M., & Leathwick, J. R. (1997). Factors predisposing forests to canopy collapse in the southern Ruahine Range, New Zealand. Biological Conservation, 80, 325-338
• Groves, Colin (16 November 2005). in Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 50. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. 

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ... Dr Colin Groves is a Professor of Biological Anthropology at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia. ... November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 45 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Trichosurus vulpecula

• Brushtail Possum
• Landcare Research NZ