Managed to coax this little fella out of a tree with an apple. Apparently its a Bushy Tailed Possom. As usual I went off to find out a little more...
Brush tail possums are small mammals that live in trees. They get their name from their brush like tail. The brush tail possum is the largest and most common possum in Australia. Like many Australian mammals the common brush tail possums are marsupials.
The common brush tail possum is about the size of a cat. Male possums are bigger than female possums. The average brush tail possum has a pink nose and pointed face. Their tail is brushy on top and flat on the bottom. It uses its strong tail to help climb trees.
Brush tail possums eat different kinds of leaves, they also eat fruit (including apples!!!) that we grow which can be a nuisance. Common brush tail possums are mainly herbivores but sometimes they eat insects, grubs, moths, birds eggs and baby bids. They spend 4 hours eating at night.
The Brush tail possum lives in a hollow branch of a tree trunk. They sleep in the day and come out at night (LOVL...I thought they were Nocturnal Les!!!!!!.) They are located in most outskirts of Australia. They prefer open forests and woodlands but also they live in thick forests in wet areas. Many brush tail possums live in cities too.
The Common Brush tail possum is hunted by many predators such as owls, Tasmanian devils, Dingoes, Foxes, Cats, Feral dogs and Large Pythons.
... oh how I love Australian wildlife! Lesson over your are dismissed...
2 comments:
come on paulo....you can do better than that.....for example....
the common brush-tailed possum or Trichosurus vulpecula, (from the Greek for "furry tailed" and the Latin for "little fox")is mainly a folivore, but supplements its usual diet of leaves with fruit, invertebrates, flowers, buds, and whatever else is available.
Despite its named resemblance to a fox and in particular to a fox's brush, the characteristic tail is actually prehensile (able to hold on to things, especially by curling around them) and is naked on its lower underside.
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.
cough...cough...i think im choking on the dictionary i just swallowed!!!!!
jp ;O)
I like it....
You better be reading my animal related posts!!! Might came in handy sometime this year! ;0)
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