Possum

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For other uses, see Possum (disambiguation).
For the Western Hemisphere marsupial, see opossum.
Possum
Common Brushtail Possum
(Trichosurus vulpecula)
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Marsupialia
Order: Diprotodontia
Suborder: Phalangeriformes
Szalay in Archer, 1982
Superfamilies and Families

Phalangeroidea

Petauroidea

A possum (plural form: possums) is any of about 70 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupial species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi (and introduced to New Zealand and China).

Possums are quadrupedal diprotodont marsupials with long tails. The smallest possum, indeed the smallest diprotodont marsupial, is the Little Pygmy Possum with an adult head-body length of 70mm and a weight of 10g. The largest is the Bear Cuscus that may exceed 7 kg. Possums are typically nocturnal and at least partially arboreal. The various species inhabit most vegetated habitats and several species have adjusted well to urban settings. Diets range from generalist herbivores or omnivores (the Common Brushtail possum) to specialist browsers of eucalyptus (Greater Glider), insectivores (Mountain Pygmy Possum) and nectar-feeders (Honey Possum).

Contents

[edit] Introduction into New Zealand

Main article: Common Brushtail Possum (New Zealand)

The common brushtail possum was introduced to New Zealand by European settlers in an attempt to establish a fur industry. Its numbers in New Zealand have risen to the point where it is considered a pest.

There are no 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 ecologically disastrous effects of the introduction of possums can be described as similar to that of the introduction of rabbits and cane toads in Australia.

Since 1996, possum fur has been used in clothing. A blend of New Zealand brushtailed possum fur with merino wool was developed by Snowy Peak ltd, the parent company of Untouched World, a New Zealand fashion label. Their possum and merino blend products are called Ecopossum and Merinomink. Other merino possum products are possumdown, eco fur or possum wool. Possum fur is also used for fur trim, jackets, bed throws, and possum leather gloves. All the fur is obtained from about 2 million per year wild-caught possums, which are considered pests.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

In 2009, it was announced that conservation measures (such as by the DOC) had met some significant success, and had reduced the possum numbers to less than half of the 1980s levels, a drop from around 70 million to around 30 million animals. Almost half (13.3 million hectares) of New Zealand's vegetated land is under some form of possum control, either for conservation reasons, or to reduce the spread of bovine tuberculosis.

[edit] Classification

Ringtail Possum in an urban area at night
Brushtail possums in a eucalyptus tree
Tame possum in Busselton, Western Australia
Ringtail Possum hunched on a utility pole

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). Note: this classification is based on Ruedas & Morales 2005.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ New Zealand turns a pest into luxury business.
  2. ^ [1]
  3. ^ [2]
  4. ^ "NZ possum population halved since 1980s". The New Zealand Herald. NZPA. 26 November 2009. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10611804. Retrieved 4 November 2011. 
  5. ^ [3]
  6. ^ [4]

[edit] Further reading

  • Possums and Gliders — Australia Zoo
  • Australian Possums
  • Urban Possums — ABC (Science), Australian Broadcasting Corporation
  • Ruedas, L.A. & Morales, J.C. 2005. Evolutionary relationships among genera of Phalangeridae (Metatheria: Diprotodontia) inferred from mitochondrial data. Journal of Mammalogy 86(2):353–365.
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