Skip to main content
Close

Common brushtail possum

Trichosurus

Photo by JordiPrats
Published on Project Noah
Zoom
NominateNominate for Wildlife Photograph of the Month
reportFlag Spotting

-33.8729, 151.211

Field Notes

Description:

Silver-grey colour, large and pointed ears and bushy tail adapted to grasping branches, prehensile at the end with a hairless ventral patch, body length of 32–58 cm with a tail length of 24–40 cm, weighs 1.2-4.5 kg, males are generally larger than females.

Habitat:

Spotted during a night walk at Hyde Parc, Sydney (free specimen).
Commonly seen in Australian cities and one of the most widespread marsupial of Australia. It is found throughout the eastern and northern parts of the continent, as well as some western regions, Tasmania and a number of offshore islands, such as Kangaroo Island and Barrow Island. It is also widespread in New Zealand since its introduction in 1840.

Notes:

It is mainly a nocturnal semi-arboreal folivore marsupial, but has been known to eat small mammals such as rats.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Marsupialia
Order: Diprotodontia
Family: Phalangeridae
Genus: Trichosurus
Species: T. vulpecula

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (2)

Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated!

Accelerate our Mission to Photograph 
Every Species in the World!

Image
Butterflies icon

Wildlife Community

Wildlife Community

Join a worldwide community passionate about wildlife and nature!

Join Project Noah

Nature School

Nature School

Transform your green space into a curiosity-creating nature classroom!

Visit Nature School

Wildlife Game

Wildlife Game

Defend wildlife throughout the jungle in thrilling nature game!

Play Baboon