Hello Possum

Snapped last night.

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.

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.

They are highly inquisitive and live in troupes of about a dozen individuals with a complex social structure not dissimilar from wolves and primates.

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.

This brushtail possum is about the size of a large very muscular cat. I can tell it's arrived by the big "Thump!" nightly on the balcony or the handrail. And from the intial landing, it tends to jump, climb and land all over the place. A quick look with the flashlight reveals one guilty looking possum having a good poke around.

This one rather likes sunflower seeds which I leave out at night from time to time. It's an inquisitive creature, getting stuck in a drainpipe leading from the roof which I had to undo so it could make a welcome escape. I think it's had a fight with amy rather territorial large cat at one stage, cat came off second best and avoids Mr. Possum at all costs!