Common Ringtail Possum

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Wildlife

FACTSHEET Common Ringtail Possum

Introduction 5 The Common Ringtail Possum is much smaller than the Common Brushtail Possum and is about half the size of a cat. Scientific name Pseudocheirus peregrinus

Did you know? The Common Ringtail Possum will eat its own faeces in order to get the maximum amount of nutrients available in eucalyptus leaves. The Common Ringtail Possum has very good night Common Ringtail Possum © A. Houston DSE 2008 vision. Diet Description The main diet of the Common Ringtail Possum is The Common Ringtail Possum is smaller than the eucalyptus leaves although they will eat other Common Brushtail Possum with a size ranging foods such as fruits, flowers and leaves of other from 30-35cm from the tip of the nose to the base native trees. They are also known to eat rose buds of the tail. The tail itself is generally about the in suburban areas. same length. They can weigh up to 1kg. The Common Ringtail Possum is nocturnal and Common Ringtail Possums are grey-brown to red- feeds exclusively at night. brown in colour, with a pale cream-white underbelly. Their ears are short and rounded with Habitat often a patch of white behind them. The Common Ringtail Possum can be found in rainforests, woodlands, eucalypt forests and Common Ringtail Possums eyes are brown. They suburban gardens. have very long and sensitive whiskers. They spend a great deal of their time in trees and They have five clawed toes on each foot. The front have adapted well to living in suburban areas. feet have two “thumbs” to help with climbing. During the day the Common Ringtail Possum will The tail of the Common Ringtail Possum is sleep in its soccer-ball-sized nest which will be prehensile meaning that it can grasp objects and located several meters high in dense foliage, act as another limb. The last third of the tail is sometimes with several other individuals. always white and the underside of the tip is hairless. This tail is often used to carry nesting They have been known to live in roofs of houses materials and to aid in balance. and sheds.

Common Ringtail Possum 5 Distribution The Common Ringtail Possum is found along the entire Our eastern part of Australia and south west Western Australia. They are also found Wildlifethroughout Tasmania.

Common Ringtail Possum © A. Houston DSE 2008 What you can do to help! Common Ringtail Possums are prey for

Recorded occurences in Victoria Powerful Owls when they are in trees and on [Data Source: 'VBA_FAUNA25' and 'VBA_FAUNA100', August the ground they are vulnerable to attack by 2010 © The State of Victoria, Department of Sustainability foxes, feral or unconfined domestic cats and and Environment] dingoes. They also suffer from urban development with many deaths from power Breeding lines and other domestic animals. The breeding season for the Common Ringtail Possum is from April to November. Possums can gain access to the roof space through loose tiles, loose roofing iron, broken The male and the female both build the nest eaves and holes in timber or brickwork. To together. The nests are shaped similar to a avoid possums living in your roof, make sure soccer ball and are built in dense foliage of these are covered up and there are no shrubs or in clumps of mistletoe. Common branches leading to your roof. Leave a gap Ringtail Possums sometimes nest in tree hollows. between tree branches and the roof of a least 1.5m. From 13 months of age the Common5.3 Ringtail Possum is sexually active. Gestation is 20-26 Buy or make a nest box and install it in your days, and one to two (sometimes three) babies garden as an alternative den site. Possums are are born. The young are born hairless and about territorial, so if one adopts the nest box it is the size of a jellybean. They usually have one likely to keep others away from your roof and litter per year in Victoria. garden area.

After the birth the young will crawl to the pouch of It is illegal to trap the Common Ringtail Possum the mother. The young will leave the pouch after without a permit. Report any illegal 7 weeks, and head to the mothers back until they mistreatment of the Common Ringtail Possum are weaned at about 6 months. Both parents take to the DSE Customer Service Centre on 136 turns in caring for the young. The father will carry 186. the young on his back while the mother is feeding. All wildlife is protected in Victoria. Visit the DSE website for more information regarding The Common Ringtail Possum has large family protected wildlife www.dse.vic.gov.au. groups of one male and one or two females from the previous breeding season that will forage and Further reading nest together Menkhorst, P.W. (ed), (1995), Mammals of Victoria, Oxford University Press, Melbourne. Strahan, R. (ed.), (1995), The mammals of Australia, Reed Books, Australia.

Published by the Victorian Government Department of Sustainability and Environment Melbourne, September 2010 © The State of Victoria Department of Sustainability and Environment 2010

ISBN 978-1-74242-880-2 (online)

This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. Authorised by the Victorian Government, 8 Nicholson Street, East Melbourne. Printed by Biodiversity Conservation, 2/8 Nicholson Street, East Melbourne

For more information contact the DSE Customer Service Centre 136 186. This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication.