Information below is from Lynda Stakers book " Don't step backwards" ( with permission )
Brushtail Possums have had to adapt to mankind and his surrounds, and rather
than disappear from suburbia like most native animals , they have clung
onto survival by becoming the opportunists of suburbia. These cheeky marsupials
will eat almost any type of food in the suburbs, but in the natural bush,
they forage on Eucalyptus tips, buds and flowers of native trees, native fruits,
insects, grubs, moths , and some grasses.
Brushtails come in all colours, particularly in the northern parts of Australia,
where they can be grey, brown, rusty red, black, and rufous orange.
Most often, the older the possum in the northern areas, the more reddish it will
become. Completely black possums are not as common as the grey and cream
coloured possums, and we have to wonder whether they are in fact genetically
the same as the Common Brushtail.
They have scent glands under their chin, on their chests, and around their cloaca,
which is rubbed onto various spots, to mark their occupancy.
Solitary except for mother and young, Brushtails are very territorial, and serious
injury can claim any foreign possum who venturesinto founded territory.
Females and males will fight for their bit of space, which can be up to a kilometre.
Joey spends up to six months in the pouch, and most possums ride on the mother’s
back until about 8 months old. Sexual maturity is reached by the female
between 12-16 months of age, with the male taking longer, between 18-24 months of age.
These easily trusting marsupials should never be raised around any other species
of animal, especially dogs and cats, as they will be eaten by the first
wild dog or cat they come across in the wild.
