Mountain Brushtail Possum

Mountain Brushtail Possum Photographer - Gary Lewis Source - Gary Lewis Photography Pty. Ltd

Trichosurus caninus

An inhabitant of tall wet forests and rainforests of eastern Victoria,this robust possum is usually a uniform grey in colour. The prominent bushy prehensile tail tapers to a naked tip.

As with the Common Brushtail Possum found in Melbourne suburbs, the underside of the tail is also naked, allowing it to get a good grip on branches, as it climbs among the canopy.

It spends a large proportion of its time on the ground, feeding on leaves and shrubs, fruit and fungi.

Nesting in tree hollows females raise one or two young, which ride on the mother's back after they become too large to ride in the pouch.