Common Brushtail Possum, Flinders Chase National Park, Kangaroo Island, South Australia.

Native to Australia and the largest of the possums, the Common Brushtail Possum is a nocturnal, semi-arboreal marsupial of the family Phalangeridae. Fur color patterns tend to be silver-gray, brown, black, red, or cream. The bushy tail has a hairless patch underneath and a prehensile tip for gripping branches. It is nocturnal like most possums, and in the wild mainly eats eucalyptus leaves but has been known to eat small mammals such as rats. It is the Australian marsupial most often seen thriving in cities, where they like fruit trees, vegetable gardens, and kitchens. It is a major agricultural and conservation pest in New Zealand where it was introduced in the 1800s. Its scientific name Trichosurus vulpecula is from the Greek for "furry tailed" and the Latin for "little fox", also known as Phalangista vulpine. Photo is in Flinders Chase National Park, Kangaroo Island, South Australia.

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Filename: 04AUS-20280_Common-Brushtail-Possum.jpg
Copyright: © Tom Dempsey / PhotoSeek.com
Image Size: 3800x2850 / 3.2MB; http://www.photoseek.com/; Animalia Australia Mammalia South Pacific Southern Hemisphere animal mammals nature vertebrate wildlife animal
Contained in galleries: SOUTH AUSTRALIA: Kangaroo Is, Remarkable Rocks

Native to Australia and the largest of the possums, the Common Brushtail Possum is a nocturnal, semi-arboreal marsupial of the family Phalangeridae. Fur color patterns tend to be silver-gray, brown, black, red, or cream. The bushy tail has a hairless patch underneath and a prehensile tip for gripping branches. It is nocturnal like most possums, and in the wild mainly eats eucalyptus leaves but has been known to eat small mammals such as rats. It is the Australian marsupial most often seen thriving in cities, where they like fruit trees, vegetable gardens, and kitchens. It is a major agricultural and conservation pest in New Zealand where it was introduced in the 1800s. Its scientific name Trichosurus vulpecula is from the Greek for "furry tailed" and the Latin for "little fox", also known as Phalangista vulpine. Photo is in Flinders Chase National Park, Kangaroo Island, South Australia.