Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Marsupialia
Order: Diprotodontia
Suborder: Phalangeriformes
Szalay in Archer, 1982

A possum is any of about 64 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupial species native to

Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi (and introduced to New Zealand). The name
derives from their resemblance to the opossums of the Americas and, unlike most names
applied to Australian fauna in the early years of European colonisation, happens to be
accurate: the opossums of America are distant relatives. (The name is from Algonquian
wapathemwa, not Greek or Latin, so the plural is possums, not possa.) Possum is also
used in North America as a diminutive for the Virginia Opossum. The possum's rank
odour is due to its large musk glands located behind each ear.

Possums are small marsupials with brown or grey fur, ranging in size and weight from
the length of a finger or 170 grams (6 ounces) (pygmy possums and wrist-winged
gliders), to the length of 120 centimetres (four feet) or 14.5 kilograms (32 pounds)
(brushtails and ringtails). All possums are nocturnal and omnivorous, hiding in a nest in a
hollow tree during the day and coming out during the night to forage for food. They fill
much the same role in the Australian ecosystem that squirrels fill in the northern
hemisphere and are broadly similar in appearance.

The two most common species of possums, the Common Brushtail and Common
Ringtail, are also among the largest.Contents [hide]

Interaction with humans

The animal has been a part of Australian culture and folklore since the original
indigenous inhabitants of the country. Indigenous Australians once used possum hides
whilst playing the traditional game of Marn Grook. Possum-skin cloaks were important
clothing for Aborigines from the south-east, as well as being important clan heirlooms.

In modern times, the phrase "Hello possums!" made famous by satirist Barry Humphries'
character Dame Edna Everage has become a celebrated catchphrase.
Possums are commonly found in suburban areas, where they are often considered pests
owing to their habit of eating fruit, vegetables, flowers and tender young shoots from
gardens, and nesting in roofs. The loud hissing, crackling territorial call of the male
Common Brushtail may also be a problem for suburban residents. Natural deterrents
which play upon the possum's acute sense of smell are often employed to discourage
them. These include cloves of garlic, camphor or naphthalene. As a native species
possums are protected by regulations, even when they reside in urban neighbourhoods,
and cannot be baited. They cannot be killed as pests, and if captured the regulations
stipulate that they must be released within a small radius of that locality, since they are
territorial creatures. Preventative measures such as blocking off their access to the roof
spaces or building a possum nesting box for an alternative home are instead
recommended.

Although the Common Brushtail and (to a lesser extent) ringtail possums have adapted
well to the urban environment, many of the lesser-known species are reduced in number,
threatened, or endangered.

Introduction into New Zealand

The Common Brushtail Possum was introduced to New Zealand by Europeans to
establish a fur industry.

They soon escaped into the wild where they have thrived as an invasive species with
great numbers: around 60 million individuals estimated. 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 introduction of possums has resulted in as
much of an ecological disaster as the introduction of rabbits has been in Australia.

Classification
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).