Do you have a dog?

Do you have dogs? Do you take them out for walks in the evening or at night? And do you live near possums? If the answer to all three questions is yes, then please keep this in mind: Dogs can seriously injure possums, and other wildlife as well. If you take your dogs through a park with possums while the possums are awake then please keep them on a leash. This one, simple action can save the lives of native animals.

Lost and found

Eric Wilkinson was 22 years old and the assistant of the curator of fossils at the Melbourne Museum on the 3rd of April 1961. He was on his first field trip when he made an amazing rediscovery: Leadbeater's possum. The possum had been thought to be extinct for 50 years, and now there was photographic evidence that they still existed. Definintely a fantastic descovery.

The....South-Western Pygmy Possum!

Today we are raising awareness for the South-Western Pygmy Possum!

The South-Western Pygmy Possum, commonly known as the Western Pygmy Possum is distributed in Western Australia, as well as some parts of South Australia, Kangaroo island and Victoria. It also resides in some areas of NSW, but there it is listed as endangered. Aren't they cute?
    The SWPP is an odd colour compared to its grey relatives, as it is a bright cinnamon colour with a white underbelly and a splodge of dark fur in front of its eyes. It has larger more oval shaped ears, big eyes and rather long whiskers. Its tail is interesting as it is covered in fine scales rather then fur. It seems to make them even cuter!
     They are nocturnal and solitary creatures so are not often
seen. They like to eat nectar and pollen and this helps with pollination.

They are sooooo cute! Eeeeek! They are so adorable! And they are so tiny! :-)

Click here for more information on the really cute South-Western Pygmy Possum. So, so cute!

Leadbeater's possums

·       The Leadbeater’s possum, Victoria’s fauna emblem, is now an endangered animal.

·       After the 2009 bushfires there were less than 1000 left

·       Also after the 2009 bushfires they had only 40-50% of their habitat left, and that is the only area in the world where they are found.

·       Because of lack of sightings the Leadbeater’s possum was thought to be extinct for 52 years.  


 A very cute Leadbeaters possum!

Habitat

·       Most possums like to live in areas with lots of trees.

·       While there are a lot of possums in south east Australia and Tasmania, the population is lower in other parts of the country

·       Brushtail possums will use just about any hollows as a home

food

•       Most possum’s favourite foods are native leaves, flowers and fruit, but they also like to eat bananas and pawpaw.

•        Brushtail possums main diet are leaves and most have toxins inside them, Brushtail possums have a high tolerance to plant toxins.

•       Brushtail possums also like to eat parasitic plants like mistletoe. If mistletoe spreads it can kill a eucalyptus tree, so the possums are protecting the trees that provide them with shelter.

Simple ways to prevent possums entering your home

• Make sure that all entry points are closed or blocked off.
• Make sure your roof tiles aren't loose and that there aren't any holes the size of a tennis ball or larger for a possum to enter through.
• Trim any branches that are hanging over the roof.

Thanks, Miki Bluethorn