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About possums in Victoria

Common Brushtail Possum | Common Ringtail Possum | Eastern Pygmy-possum | Sugar Glider | Feathertail Glider

Victoria has 13 species of possums and gliders from five families. A characteristic species from each family is described and illustrated.

Source: Text adapted from: Victorian Fauna Display, Viridans Biological Databases: www.viridans.com.au and from Menkhorst, P.W. (ed.) 1995. Mammals of Victoria. Oxford University Press, Melbourne.

Common Brushtail Possum Trichosurus vulpecula
Family: Phalangeridae


    Photo: Common Brushtail Possum
    ...Photo: Ian Temby
        GENERAL DESCRIPTION: A medium-sized, thick-set, nocturnal and arboreal marsupial. Fur grey on head, back and sides. Fur black around the eyes, muzzle and sometimes along centre of forehead. Belly pale grey to yellowish or white. Ears relatively long, black with white tips. Tail black, shorter than the head-body, bushy but sparsely hairy or naked underneath and at the tip.
        HEAD-BODY LENGTH: 35-55 cm.
        TAIL: 25-40 cm.
        WEIGHT: 1.2-4.5 kg.
        BREEDING: Females give birth to a single young (mostly Mar-May) which is initially carried in the pouch (4-5 months) and then on the back until weaned at about 9 months. Females usually breed after their first year, may raise young each year thereafter and may live for 7 years or more.
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      VOICE: A range of sounds including screams, hissing and asthmatic growling.
      DIET: Principally leaves of eucalypts but also some shrubs (mainly wattles), herbs, flowers and fruit. The animal forages in the canopy, in lower levels of the forest and on the ground. In urban areas the Common Brushtail Possum will eat a variety of food including fruit and bread.
      ENVIRONMENT: A wide range of forests and woodlands across the state. Generally absent from the driest areas. Very common in urban parks and gardens. The animal rests in tree hollows during the day and in urban areas often uses house roof cavities.
      Photo: Common Brushtail Possum
      ...Photo: Ian Temby
Other species in this family that occur in Victoria:

Mountain Brushtail Possum or Bobuck Trichosurus caninus

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Common Ringtail Possum Pseudocheirus peregrinus
Family: Pseudocheiridae


    Photo: Ringtail Possum
    ...Photo: Ian McCann/DSE
        GENERAL DESCRIPTION: A medium-sized, nocturnal and arboreal marsupial. Fur grey to grey-brown on head and back, grading into rust-brown on sides and legs. Belly pale grey to white. Ears rounded with white fur beneath. Tail slender, prehensile, about as long as the head-body, dark grey to black, with a white tip.
        HEAD-BODY LENGTH: 30-35 cm.
        TAIL: 30-35 cm.
        WEIGHT: 700-1100 g.
        BREEDING: Females give birth to 1-4 (usually 2) young (Apr-Dec), which are initially carried in the pouch (4 months) and then in the nest (a spherical structure built from twigs and leaves amongst branches or a leaf-lined tree hollow) for a further 2 weeks, after which they are carried on the females' back until weaned. Females can breed in their second year, may have two litters in a season and may live for 3 or more years.
VOICE: A high-pitched, ticking trill.
DIET: Principally leaves from a range of eucalypts, tea-trees, paperbarks and wattles. The animal shows a marked preference for a few species within any given area. Also feeds on fruits and flowers.
ENVIRONMENT: A wide range of forests and woodlands in medium to high rainfall areas of the state. A very common species in urban areas. Commonly attacked and injured by domestic cats.

Other species in this family that occur in Victoria:

Greater Glider Petauroides volans

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Eastern Pygmy-possum Cercartetus nanus
Family: Burramyidae
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    Photo: Eastern Pygmy Possum
    ...Photo: Ian McCann/DSE
        GENERAL DESCRIPTION: A mouse-sized, climbing marsupial. Fur grey-brown to rust-brown on head, back and sides. Belly white. Tail slender (although it may fatten with abundant food), prehensile, about as long as the head-body, finely scaly and more or less hairless.
        HEAD-BODY LENGTH: 70-110 mm.
        TAIL: 75-105 mm.
        WEIGHT: 15-43 g.
        BREEDING: Females give birth to 2-6 young (Sep - Apr) which are carried in the pouch for 4-5 weeks, after which they are left in a nest until weaned. Females may have 2 or 3 litters in a year and may live for 3 years.
        DIET: Nectar (particularly from banksias and eucalypts), pollen, invertebrates, fleshy fruit and seeds. The animal is an excellent climber. ENVIRONMENT: A wide range of woodlands and open forests in higher rainfall areas of the state. Not expected to be found in urban areas.

Other species in this family that occur in Victoria:

Mountain Pygmy-possum Burramys parvus
Western Pygmy-possum Cercartetus concinnus
Little Pygmy-possum Cercartetus lepidus

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Sugar Glider Petaurus breviceps
Family: Petauridae
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    Photo: Sugar Glider
    ...Photo: Ian McCann/DSE
        GENERAL DESCRIPTION: A small, nocturnal, arboreal and gliding marsupial. Fur grey on head, back and sides. Fur black around the eyes, ears and along centre of forehead and upper back. Belly pale grey to white and flanked by a fur-covered, gliding membrane which extends from wrists to ankles. Tail fairly bushy, about as long as head-body, grey at the base then black towards the tip.
        HEAD-BODY LENGTH: 16-21 cm.
        TAIL: 16-21 cm.
        WEIGHT: 95-160 g.
        BREEDING: Females give birth to two (rarely one) young (Jun-Jan) which are initially carried in the pouch (10 weeks) and then in the nest, in a tree hollow, until weaned (17 weeks). Females can breed from their first year and may live for nine years (but usually not more than five).
VOICE: A soft, dog-like yapping call.
DIET: Principally invertebrates caught in and under bark on tree trunks, as well as sugar exudates from wattles and eucalypts, gathered by chewing grooves into the bark. The species also feeds on nectar, pollen and other sugar exudates.
ENVIRONMENT: A range of forests and woodlands in high and medium rainfall parts of the state. The animal will rest by day in tree hollows. Occurs in some well-treed outer urban areas to the north and east of Melbourne. Domestic cats are a significant predator of Sugar Gliders.
NOTES: Very similar to Squirrel Glider but slightly smaller, with a shorter, less bushy tail and shorter ears.

Other species in this family that occur in Victoria:

Leadbeater’s Possum Gymnobelideus leadbeateri
Yellow-bellied Glider Petaurus australis
Squirrel Glider Petaurus norfolcensis

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Feathertail Glider Acrobates pygmaeus
Family: Acrobatidae
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    Photo: Feathertail Glider
    Photo: Lindy Lumsden
        GENERAL DESCRIPTION: A mouse-sized, nocturnal, arboreal and gliding marsupial. Fur on head, back and sides grey-brown. Belly white and flanked by a fur-covered, gliding membrane which extends from elbows to knees. Tail flat and feather-like, about as long as head-body, with short hairs above and below and long hairs on either side. Ears rounded.
        HEAD-BODY LENGTH: 65-80 mm.
        TAIL: 70-80 cm.
        WEIGHT: 10-14 g.
        BREEDING: Females give birth to 1-4 young (Apr-Feb) which are initially carried in the pouch (about 9 weeks) and then in the nest, in a tree hollow, until weaned (14 weeks). DIET: Invertebrates, nectar, pollen or sugar exudates on leaves and bark.
        ENVIRONMENT: A range of forests and woodlands. Generally absent from grassy woodlands and very low rainfall areas. Occurs in some outer urban areas but seldom seen. Vulnerable to predation by domestic cats.

        No other members of this family occur in Victoria.


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