Family: Petauridae.
Status: Protected.
Size: Length 12 to 14 in. tail up to 14 in., weight 3 lbs.
Diet: Herbivore.
Characteristics: Nocturnal, gregarious.
Area: Australia.
Offspring: One to three.
Predators: Foxes, cats.
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There are
15 species of ringtail possums—the common ringtail is the most numerous.
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Opossums are different from possums—they’re larger and
have white faces.
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Other names
for the common ringtail are Grey Queensland Ringtail, Banga, Rufous
Ringtail, Southeastern Ringtail and Tasmanian Ringtail.
The ringtail possum gets its name from the way its tail curls up into rings when it’s not being used. The tail is prehensile, which means the possum uses it to grip branches. The ringtail is most often found in trees, but will descend occasionally to scamper about on the ground. It mostly comes out at night, and sleeps curled up in a nest, or drey, made of shredded bark, leaves and twigs, in the fork of a tree. On clear, moonlit nights, their activity is curtailed, because the light makes them clearly visible to their predators. Possums eat leaves, flowers, fruit and buds. They’re relatively quiet animals—their only vocalisations consist of soft twitters. They have excellent night vision due to their large, protruding eyes and soft woolly fur. Their lives are sometimes cut short when they grip power lines with their tails.
The common ringtail lives in eastern Australia, including the provinces of South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, West Australia and the island of Tasmania. Its preferred habitats consist of rainforest, woodland and scrub. Although this particular ringtail is the most common ringtail, its numbers began declining in the 1950s, mainly due to relentless hunting. From the 1920s to the 1950s, over 7.5 million common ringtail possum furs were exported from Tasmania alone. Loss of habitat was another major concern, as common ringtails need suitable trees in which they can build nests to sleep safely during daylight hours. Without that, they’re extremely susceptible to predators. They are now protected by Australian law.
Mating season begins in April or May, and lasts until November or December. During that time, the male and female possum live together in one nest. Because these animals are so shy and secretive, studies on them are still incomplete and the gestation (duration of pregnancy) period is unknown, but believed to be between twelve days and two months. The youngsters live in the mother’s pouch for the first four months, then they ride on the mother’s or father’s back until they’re fully weaned, between five and eight months. Both parents take care of the babies, grooming and teaching them how to survive. The average lifespan of a common ringtail is three to six years in the wild.