The common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula, from the Greek for "furry tailed" and the Latin for "little fox", previously in the genus Phalangista) is a nocturnal, semi-arboreal marsupial of the family Phalangeridae, it is native to Australia, and the second largest of the possums. Like most possums, the common brushtail possum is nocturnal. It is mainly a folivore, but has been known to eat small mammals such as rats.
In most Australian habitats, leaves of eucalyptus are a significant part of the diet but rarely the sole item eaten. The tail is prehensile and naked on its lower underside. There are four colour variations: silver-grey, brown, black, and gold. It is the Australian marsupial most often seen by city-dwellers, as it is one of few that thrives in cities, as well as a wide range of natural and human-modified environments. Around human habitations, common brushtails are inventive and determined foragers with a liking for fruit trees, vegetable gardens, and kitchen raids.
This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme
Great photo, they are cute critters! Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a great weekend. PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.
ReplyDeletei have never thought of them as friendly...but this is a great picture and they both have very cute faces!!
ReplyDeleteI hear possums inside the roof of our suburban house most nights. They are protected, so I just ignore them.
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