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Short-eared Possum

Trichosurus caninus

Photo by AliceGreenup
Published on Project Noah
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Field Notes

Description:

The third possum i've seen in as many nights. This guy is the same species as the possum spotting i uploaded a few days ago ( spotted in the same place) but very different in colour. http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/44002200 These two spottings show how extremely different their colour variation can be. Body length 500 mm; tail length 400 mm; weight 4 kg. Cat-sized; usually dark slate-grey, but may be pure black; short round ears; tail not bushy near tip.

Habitat:

This species is endemic to south-eastern Australia, where it ranges from south-eastern Queensland and in southern coastal New South Wales to about Newcastle. It occurs from sea level up to 1,600 m asl. It is a nocturnal, mostly scansorial species, of various tall open and closed forest types. It is most common in forested gullies containing trees with hollows

Notes:

This guy was much smaller but also much darker than the possum i spotted a few days ago, although he is the same species. I wondered if i could entice him out with some fruit & a special possum food recipe i was taught. It's proven to be irresistible!

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (6)

I know Daniele! There's so much space in my yard too but they seem to like it around the pool and house!!thanks bherath and Kerry! There was something about him that I found more appealing than the other grey guy, I'm going to try and get some better shots tonight!
Yeah I had to shine a torch in his direction so my camera could focus so that obscured his colour a bit in some. My two possum spottings just spotted each other which resulted In a very loud and violent fight! One fell from a tree to the ground so I hope he's ok
Indeed Alice, with the light on the 3rd and 6th shot it really looks like a twin of mine! Great series.
Photographed
PublishedOctober 16, 2013

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