#603: Possum

The Possums are a diverse range of medium-sized marsupials, found in Australia. They are named after the oppossum from the Americas, to which they bear not-really-that-much of a resemblance. This fellow is the Brushtail Possum. He is omnivorous, feasting on leaves, fruit, flowers, insects, birds eggs and occasionally the birds themselves. Adaptable in nature, he can be found in urban environments, using powerlines as a means of locomotion and occasionally denning down in the eaves of houses. Introduced to New Zealand in the 1850s, in the hope of establishing a fur industry, he flourished and became an invasive pest. Now perhaps 30 million possums inhabit the New Zealand forests, defoliating trees and destroying the fragile ecosystems. Like all marsupials, baby Possums are born after a short gestation period, before developing further within the mother's pouch.