ABC Wednesday, P for Possum

 

Hiding in a shed in Gympie

A wellknown Australian animal is the Possum. It's an endangered species in Australia, in New Zealand however it is a pest and wrongfully introduced.

In its native land the possum is up against dingoes, bush fires and less palatable vegetation. In New Zealand there are no predators and lots of very palatable vegetation. As a result, possums have a huge impact on New Zealand ecosystems.

Photo by Steve Parish

Wikipedia.

A possum  is any of about 70 small to medium-sized  marsupial species, living in trees native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi (and introduced to New Zealand and China).

Possums are quadrupedal marsupials with two well developed front teeth and with long thick tails. The smallest possum, indeed the smallest diprotodont marsupial, is the Tasmanian pygmy possum, with an adult head-body length of 70 mm and a weight of 10 g. The largest is the bear cuscus that may exceed 7 kg.

 Possums are typically nocturnal and at least partly living in trees.. 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).


 With thanks to Denise Nesbitt , who created ABC. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar . This week we are looking for words beginning with P.