Common brushtail possum – burumin

What is a common brushtail possum?

Common brushtail possums are native Australian marsupials found all over the country as well as New Zealand. They have thick, black bushy tails and come in a variety of colours. Brushtails can be silvery grey, brown, golden or reddish in colour. They can be distinguished from other possums by their yellowish belly fur. They range in body length from 35 to 55 centimetres and weigh between 1.2 to 4.5 kilograms. Their tails can be 25 to 40 centimetres long.

The scientific name for brushtail possums is  Trichosurus vulpecula  which means furry-tailed. The Darug name for possum is  burumin.

Common brushtail possums have bushy tails and are larger than ringtail possums.

Where do common brushtail possums live?

Brushtail possums are arboreal animals which means they live in trees. They prefer forest ecosystem's and woodlands but are also well adapted to residential areas.

Competition for tree hollows to shelter in can be fierce as more trees are removed from natural habitats. In their natural habitat, brushtails also create their ‘dens’ in fallen trees and rock cavities. Due to the competition they often need to be discouraged from setting up home inside people’s roof spaces.

Common brushtail possums are also found living in city buildings, urban parks and gardens.

A well sought after tree hollow has become this brushtail possum's den.

What do common brushtail possums sound like?

Common brushtail possums make a medium to high pitch growling sound. They also loudly shriek, screech and hiss at night when they are active.

Common brushtail possums use these different call sounds to communicate with each other and protect their territory from competitors.

Common brushtail possum call

What do common brushtail possums eat?

In the wild, brushtail possums feed on leaves, blossoms and fruits. They forage in the lower levels of the forest and on the ground. Occasionally their diet will include insects, baby birds and bird eggs.

In urban areas brushtail possums have a more varied diet including flowers, fruits and vegetables in compost bins and growing in backyard gardens.

Common brushtail possums will eat food scraps from compost and garbage bins as well as natural food sources.

What role do common brushtail possums play in the ecosystem?

Common brushtail possums are a known food source of tiger quolls, large pythons, powerful owls and goannas.

Brushtail possums will fertilise the flowers of many trees and plants as they move between these plants carrying pollen in their fur.

Being nocturnal, common brushtail possums forage for food at night.

How are common brushtail possums adapted to their environment?

Common brushtail possums are well adapted to their natural environment. They have opposable thumbs on their back feet and two thumbs on their front feet for gripping and climbing. Their sharp claws also help them to climb trees and grip food.

Similar to other possums, brushtail possums have a twin claw on their hind feet, like a comb, for grooming themselves. The last two toes are fused to form the twin claw, known as syndactyl.

Brushtail possums can move quickly through trees due to their strong limbs which help them leap from one branch to another. Brushtail possums also have a flexible prehensile tail for gripping branches when needed. The underside of the tail is bare to enable good grip.

Being nocturnal, common brushtail possums have large protruding eyes to absorb as much light as possible.

Common brushtail possums communicate using sound and smell. They make hissing, coughing or screeching sounds and males use a scent gland on their chest to mark out territory. Vocal communication is usually around mating time and used as a warning to predators.

Common brushtail possums have successfully adapted to living in urban and suburban areas that have largely reduced or replaced their natural habitats. They have learned to raid garbage bins for food waste, compost, garden flowers, fruit trees and vegetable patches.

These possums forage around the neighbourhood at night and then return to sleep in their bush dens during the day. Seeking dry warm places, they occasionally make their dens inside the roofs of people's homes.

An ability to climb trees quickly is a handy adaptation to have when a threat is detected.

What is the life cycle of common brushtail possums?

Common brushtail possums are known to breed throughout the year although the autumn months are more popular. Females are ready to mate at one year of age while males reach reproductive maturity at the age of 2 years.

Like many other marsupials, baby brushtail possums are called joeys. After approximately 17 days, a pink skinned joey is born and weighs about the same as a cashew nut, only 2 grams.

The joeys use well developed front paws and claws to climb all the way to the forward facing pouch. The joeys attach themselves to a teat inside the pouch and stay inside for about 5 months.

The now furry joeys will crawl out and travel around on their mother’s back for approximately 4 more months. At around 9 months of age they are ready to find their own food.

Common brushtail possums have an average lifespan of about 10 years.

Baby brushtail possums ride around on their mother's back until about 9 months of age.

What threats are there to common brushtail possums and how can we help them?

Common brushtail possums encounter many dangers in living in urban environments. Power lines, dogs, cats, foxes and humans are all threats. Many brushtail possums are killed by cars as they move around the neighbourhood at night.

Keeping pet dogs and cats indoors at night reduces the incidence of possums being preyed upon.

Building a special shelter called a nesting box will discourage brushtail possums from taking up residence in house roofs by providing them with an alternate place to shelter. Nesting boxes can be attached to trees and offer a safer place to live when predators are out and about.

Despite the wide menu on offer around urban and suburban areas, human food waste can make common brushtail possums very sick as it is an unnatural food source. Ensuring our waste is disposed of properly as well as securing bin lids are two ways to tackle this problem.

Common brushtail possums are protected in Australia, meaning they must not be harmed in any way or kept without approval. However, an introduced species in New Zealand, brushtail possums are considered a pest there where they strip native trees of leaves and eat native birds such as the Kiwi. Their populations are managed by legal hunting of the animal for its fur which is sold all over the world.

Common brushtail possums will use wooden nest boxes.