Northern Beaches FaunaAustralian Bush Turkey Blue Bottles By-the-wind Sailor Common Brushtail Possum Purple Shore Crab Red-tipped Crab Spider Three-bar Porcupinefish

Having adapted to urban living, especially in Sydney, the Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) is probably the best known of the possums, often becoming a pest for some people especially in their roof and wall cavities, but a welcomed sight for many others.

Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), Northern Beaches NSW
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), Northern Beaches NSW

Found across Australia in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania, their habitat is usually forests and woodlands and heath, but they have also adapted to living in urban towns and cities, where they can be found in parks, gardens and even dwellings.

Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) with young, Northern Beaches NSW
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) with young, Northern Beaches NSW

In the natural environment, the Common Brushtail Possum’s diet consists of leaves, blossoms and fruits. In suburbia they are known to eat almost anything.

A nocturnal animal, the Common Brushtail Possum during the day, retreats to a hollow log, branch, tree trunk or as in urban areas (where they can get access) inside house roofs and wall cavities.

Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) with young, Northern Beaches NSW
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) with young, Northern Beaches NSW
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) with young, Northern Beaches NSW
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) with young, Northern Beaches NSW
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) with young, Northern Beaches NSW
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) with young, Northern Beaches NSW
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) with young, Northern Beaches NSW
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) with young, Northern Beaches NSW
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) with young, Northern Beaches NSW
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) with young, Northern Beaches NSW
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) with young, Northern Beaches NSW
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) with young, Northern Beaches NSW
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) with young, Northern Beaches NSW
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), Northern Beaches NSW
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), Northern Beaches NSW
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) with young, Northern Beaches NSW
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) with young, Northern Beaches NSW
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) with young, Northern Beaches NSW
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) with young, Northern Beaches NSW
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) with young, Northern Beaches NSW
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) with young, Northern Beaches NSW
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) with young, Northern Beaches NSW
  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Chordata
  • Subphylum: Vertebrata
  • Informal: Gnathostomata
  • Class: Mammalia
  • Subclass: Marsukpialia
  • Order: Diprotodontia
  • Suborder: Phalangerida
  • Superfamily: Phalangeroidea
  • Family: Phalangeridae
  • Genus: Trichosurus
  • Species: Trichosurus vulpecula
  • Subspecies:
    • Trichosurus vulpecula arnhemensis
    • Trichosurus vulpecula arnhemensis Collett, 1897
    • Trichosurus vulpecula eburacensis Lonnberg, 1916
    • Trichosurus vulpecula fuliginosus (Ogilby, 1831)
    • Trichosurus vulpecula hypoleucus (Wagner, 1855)
    • Trichosurus vulpecula johnstoni (Ramsay, 1888)
    • Trichosurus vulpecula vulpecula (Kerr, 1792)

Footnote & References

  1. Trichosurus vulpecula (Kerr, 1792), Common Brushtail Possum, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/Trichosurus vulpecula

Northern Beaches FaunaAustralian Bush Turkey Blue Bottles By-the-wind Sailor Common Brushtail Possum Purple Shore Crab Red-tipped Crab Spider Three-bar Porcupinefish

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