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A possum is any of about 63 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupial species native to Australia, New Guinea and Sulawesi. The name derives from their resemblance to the opossums of the Americas and, unlike most names applied to Australian fauna in the early years of European colonisation, happens to be accurate: the opossums of America are distant relatives. (The name is from Algonquian wapathemwa, not Greek or Latin, so the plural is possums, not possa.) Possum is also used in North America as a diminutive for the Virginia Opossum. Possums are small marsupials with brown or grey fur, ranging in size from the length of a finger (pygmy possums and wrist-winged gliders), to the length of a forearm (brushtails and ringtails). All possums are nocturnal and omnivorous, hiding in a nest in a hollow tree during the day and coming out during the night to forage for food. They fill much the same role in the Australian ecosystem that squirrels fill in the northern hemisphere and are broadly similar in appearance. The two most common species of possums, the Common Brushtail and Common Ringtail, are also among the largest.
Native predators Brushtail possums are eaten by many species of carnivores including the Carpet Python, Powerful Owl, Wedge-tailed Eagle and the Dingo. Introduced predators The feral cat, wild dog, dingo and introduced fox may also prey on possums in the wild. Interaction with humans
Introduction into New Zealand The Common Brushtail Possum was introduced to New Zealand by Europeans to establish a fur industry. They soon escaped into the wild where they have thrived as an invasive species with great numbers: around 60 million individuals estimated. There are few native predators of the possum in New Zealand. There have been numerous attempts to eradicate them because of the damage they do to native trees and wildlife, as well as acting as a carrier of bovine tuberculosis. For New Zealand, the introduction of possums has resulted in as much of an ecological disaster as the introduction of rabbits has been in Australia. Classification About two-thirds of Australian marsupials belong to the order Diprotodontia, which is split into three suborders: the Vombatiformes (wombats and the Koala, 4 species in total); the large and diverse Phalangeriformes (the possums and gliders) and Macropodiformes (kangaroos, potoroos, wallabies and the Musky Rat-kangaroo). See also | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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