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CAVS: 1113

Species Trichosurus vulpecula (Kerr, 1792)

Common Brushtail Possum

Generic Combinations

  • Trichosurus vulpecula (Kerr, 1792).

 

Introduction

The status of subspecies of Trichosurus vulpecula is unresolved. The Action Plan for Australian Mammals 2012 (Woinowski et al. 2014) recognises only three valid subspecies Trichosurus vulpecula vulpecula, T. v. arnhemensis and T. v. hypoleucus, citing Collins (2003) and Taylor & Foulks (2004). The former of these is an (unpublished) Honours thesis from James Cook University and the second a 2001 symposium paper. The six subspecies (vulpecula, arnhemensis, hypoleucus, eburacensis, johnstonii and fuliginosus) recognised here are based on the article by Kerle & How in Mammals of Australia (2008). Findings from S. Kerr's (2011) PhD. study on T. v. johnstonii, also at James Cook University, appear not to have been published, however, there is some discussion on the web of the project by her supervisor A. Krockenberger.

 

Distribution

States

Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia


Extra Distribution Information

All regions in suitable habitat, introduced to New Zealand.


IBRA and IMCRA regions (map not available)

IBRA

ACT, NSW, NT, Qld, SA, Tas, Vic, WA: Australian Alps (AA), Arnhem Coast (ARC), Arnhem Plateau (ARP), Avon Wheatbelt (AW), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Ben Lomond (BEL), Broken Hill Complex (BHC), Burt Plain (BRT), Central Arnhem (CA), Carnarvon (CAR), Channel Country (CHC), Central Kimberley (CK), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Coolgardie (COO), Cobar Peneplain (CP), Central Ranges (CR), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Daly Basin (DAB), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Desert Uplands (DEU), Dampierland (DL), Davenport Murchison Ranges (DMR), Darling Riverine Plains (DRP), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Esperance Plains (ESP), Eyre Yorke Block (EYB), Finke (FIN), Flinders Lofty Block (FLB), Flinders (FLI), Gascoyne (GAS), Gawler (GAW), Gibson Desert (GD), Gulf Fall and Uplands (GFU), Geraldton Sandplains (GS), Great Sandy Desert (GSD), Gulf Coastal (GUC), Gulf Plains (GUP), Great Victoria Desert (GVD), Hampton (HAM), Jarrah Forest (JF), Kanmantoo (KAN), King (KIN), Little Sandy Desert (LSD), MacDonnell Ranges (MAC), Mallee (MAL), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Mitchell Grass Downs (MGD), Mount Isa Inlier (MII), Mulga Lands (ML), Murchison (MUR), Nandewar (NAN), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), New England Tablelands (NET), Northern Kimberley (NK), NSW North Coast (NNC), NSW South Western Slopes (NSS), Nullarbor (NUL), Ord Victoria Plain (OVP), Pine Creek (PCK), Pilbara (PIL), Riverina (RIV), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Simpson Strzelecki Dunefields (SSD), Stony Plains (STP), Sturt Plateau (STU), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Tanami (TAN), Tasmanian Central Highlands (TCH), Tiwi Cobourg (TIW), Tasmanian Northern Midlands (TNM), Tasmanian Northern Slopes (TNS), Tasmanian South East (TSE), Tasmanian Southern Ranges (TSR), Tasmanian West (TWE), Victoria Bonaparte (VB), Victorian Midlands (VM), Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP), Warren (WAR), Wet Tropics (WT), Yalgoo (YAL)

Other Regions

Torres Strait Islands terrestrial, marine & freshwater

Ecological Descriptors

Closed forest, folivore, nocturnal, omnivore, open forest, subtropical, terrestrial, tropical, woodland.

Extra Ecological Information

Occurs in any area where suitable nest sites in trees or burrows are available.

 

General References

Aitkin, L.M. & Gates, G.R. 1983. Connections of the auditory cortex of the brush-tailed possum, Trichosurus vulpecula. Brain, Behavior and Evolution 22: 75-88

Baker, M.L., Canfield, P.J., Gemmell, R.T., Spencer, P.B.S. & Agar, N.S. 1995. Erythrocyte metabolism in the koala, the common brushtail possum and the whiptail wallaby. Comparative Haematology International 5: 163-169

Barlow, N.D. 1994. Predicting the effect of a novel vertebrate biocontrol agent - a model for viral vectored immunocontraception of New Zealand possums. Journal of Applied Ecology 31: 454-462

Bass, D.A. 1990. Dispersal of an introduced shrub (Crataegus monogyna) by the brush-tailed possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). Australian Journal of Ecology 15: 227-229

Braithwaite, L.W., Binns, D.L. & Nowlan, R.D. 1988. The distribution of arboreal marsupials in relation to eucalypt forest types in the Eden (NSW) Woodchip Concession Area. Australian Wildlife Research 15: 363-373

Braithwaite, R.W. 1989. Shelter selection by a small mammal community in the wet-dry tropics of Australia. Australian Mammalogy 12: 55-59

Brockie, R.E. 1982. Effect of commercial hunters on the number of possums, Trichosurus vulpecula, in the Orongorongo Valley, Wellington. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 5: 21-28

Brockie, R.E., Herritty, P.J., Ward, G.D. & Fairweather, A.A.C. 1989. A population study of Hawkes Bay farmland possums, Trichosurus vulpecula. DSIR Ecology Division Report No. 26. 43 pp.

Caley, P., Spencer, N.J., Cloe, R.A. & Efford, M.G. 1998. The effect of manipulating population density on the probability of den sharing among common brushtail possums, and implications for transmission of bovine tuberculosis. Wildlife Research 25: 383-392

Call, R.N. & Janssens, P.A. 1984. Hypertrophied adrenocortical tissue of the Australian brush-tailed possum (Trichosurus vulpecula): uniformity during reproduction. Journal of Endocrinology 101: 263-267

Callister, D.J. 1991. A review of the Tasmanian brushtail possum industry. Traffic Bulletin 161: 611-619

Clapperton, B.K. & Matthews, L.R. 1996. Trials of electric fencing for restricting the movements of common brushtail possums, Trichosurus vulpecula Kerr. Wildlife Research 23: 571-579

Claridge, A.W. & May, T.W. 1994. Mycophagy among Australian mammals. Australian Journal of Ecology 19: 251-275

Clout, M.N. 1982. Determination of age in the brushtail possum using sections from decalcified molar teeth. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 9: 365-371

Clout, M.N. 1982. Exploitation of brushtail possum populations in theory and practice. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 5: 29-35

Clout, M.N. & Efford, M.G. 1984. Sex differences in the dispersal and settlement of brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula). Journal of Animal Ecology 53: 737-749

Clout, M.N. & Gaze, P.D. 1984. Brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula Kerr) in New Zealand beech (Nothofagus) forest. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 7: 147-155

Coleman, J.D., Green, W.Q. & Polson, J.G. 1985. Diet of brushtail possums over a pasture-alpine gradient in Westland, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 12: 21-35

Coleman, J.D. & Green, W.O. 1984. Variations in the sex and age distributions of brush-tailed possum populations. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 11: 313-318

Coulson, R.I. & Heron, D.C. 1981. Population, trade and management of the brush possum. pp. 37-72 in Jones, R. (ed.). Exploited and endangered wildlife. Centre for Environmental Studies, University of Tasmania Occasional Papers No. 12

Cowan, P.E. 1987. The influence of lures and relative opportunity for capture on catches of brushtail possums, Trichosurus vulpecula. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 14: 149-161

Cowan, P.E. 1989. Changes in milk composition during lactation in the common brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula (Marsupialia: Phalangeridae). Reproduction, Fertility and Development 1: 325-335

Cowan, P.E. 1989. Denning habits of common brushtail possums, Trichosurus vulpecula, in New Zealand lowland forest. Australian Wildlife Research 16: 63-78

Cowan, P.E. 1990. Brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula (Kerr, 1792). pp. 68-98 in King, C.M. (ed.). The Handbook of New Zealand Mammals. Auckland : Oxford University Press.

Cowan, P.E. 1990. Fruits, seeds and flowers in the diet of brushtail possums, Trichosurus vulpecula, in lowland podocarp/mixed hardwood forest, Orongorongo Valley, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 17: 549-566

Cowan, P.E. 1992. The eradication of introduced possums, Trichosurus vulpecula from Kapiti Island, a New Zealand nature reserve. Biological Conservation 61: 217-226

Cowan, P.E. 1993. Effects of intensive trapping on breeding and age structure of brushtail possums, Trichosurus vulpecula, on Kapiti Island, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 20: 1-11

Cowan, P.E., Brockie, R.E., Smith, R.N. & Hearfield, M.E. 1997. Dispersal of juvenile brushtail possums, Trichosurus vulpecula, after a control operation. Wildlife Research 24: 279-288

Cowan, P.E. & Moeed, A. 1987. Invertebrates in the diet of brushtail possums, Trichosurus vulpecula. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 14: 149-161

Cowan, P.E. & Rhodes, D.S. 1992. Restricting the movements of brushtail possums Trichosurus vulpecula on farmland with electric fencing. Wildlife Research 19: 47-58

Cowan, P.E. & White, A.J. 1989. Evaluation of a tooth-wear age index for brushtail possums, Trichosurus vulpecula. Australian Wildlife Research 16: 321-322

Crisp, E.A., Cowan, P.E. & Messer, M. 1989. Changes in milk carbohydrates during lactation in the common brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula (Marsupialia: Phalangeridae). Reproduction, Fertility and Development 1: 309-314

Crisp, E.A., Messer, M. & Cowan, P.E. 1989. Intestinal lactase ( betagalactosidase) and other disaccharidase activities of suckling and adult common brushtail possums, Trichosurus vulpecula (Marsupialia: Phalangeridae). Reproduction, Fertility and Development 1: 315-324

Crowe, O. & Hume, I.D. 1997. Morphology and function of the gastrointestinal tract of Australian folivorous possums. Australian Journal of Zoology 45: 357-368

Curlewis, J.D. & Stone, G.M. 1985. Some effects of breeding season and castration on the prostate and epididymis of the brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula. Australian Journal of Biological Sciences 38: 313-326

Curlewis, J.D. & Stone, G.M. 1986. Reproduction in captive female brushtail possums Trichosurus vulpecula. Australian Journal of Zoology 34: 47-52

Driessen, M.M., Taylor, R.J. & Hocking, G.J. 1991. Trends in abundance of three marsupial species after fire. Australian Mammalogy 14: 121-124

Eckery, D.C., Tisdall, D.J., Heath, D.A. & McNatty, K.P. 1996. Morphology and function of the ovary during fetal and early neonatal life - a comparison between the sheep and brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). Animal Reproduction Science 42: 551-561

Efford, M. 1998. Demographic consequences of sex-biased dispersal in a population of brushtail possums. Journal of Animal Ecology 67: 503-517

Evans, M. 1992. Diet of the brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula (Marsupialia: Phalangeridae) in central Australia. Australian Mammalogy 15: 25-30

Fitzgerald, A.E. 1984. Diet of the possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) in three Tasmanian forest types and its relevance to the diet of possums in New Zealand forests. pp. 137-143 in Smith, A. & Hume, I. (eds). Possums and Gliders. Sydney : Surrey Beatty & Sons, Australian Mammal Society 598 pp.

Foley, W.J., Hume, I.D. & Cork, S.J. 1989. Fermentation in the hindgut of the greater glider (Petauroides volans) and the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) - two arboreal folivores. Physiological Zoology 62: 1126-1143

Foley, W.J., Lessak, E.V. & Brophy, J. 1987. Digestion and absorption of Eucalyptus essential oils in greater glider (Petauroides volans) and brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). Journal of Chemical Ecology 13: 2115-2130

Foley, W.J. & Hume, I.D. 1987. Digestion and metabolism of high-tannin Eucalyptus foliage by the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) (Marsupialia: Phalangeridae). Journal of Comparative Physiology B 157: 67-76

Foley, W.J. & Hume, I.D. 1987. Nitrogen requirements and urea metabolism in two arboreal marsupials, the greater glider (Petauroides volans) and the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) fed eucalyptus foliage. Physiological Zoology 60: 241-250

Foley, W.J. & Hume, I.D. 1987. Passage of digesta markers of arboreal folivorous marsupials - the greater glider (Petauroides volans) and the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). Physiological Zoology 60: 103-113

Friend, G.R. & Taylor, J.A. 1985. Habitat preferences of small mammals in tropical open-forest of the Northern Territory. Australian Journal of Ecology 10: 173-185

Gates, G.R. & Aitken, L.M. 1984. The auditory system of the common brushtail possum - from cochlea to cortex. pp. 191-196 in Smith, A. & Hume, I. (eds). Possums and Gliders. Sydney : Surrey Beatty & Sons, Australian Mammal Society 598 pp.

Gemmell, R.T. 1987. Effect of melatonin and removal of pouch young on the seasonality of births in the marsupial possum, Trichosurus vulpecula. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 80: 301-307

Gemmell, R.T. 1990. Influence of day length on the initiation of the breeding season of the marsupial possum, Trichosurus vulpecula. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 88: 605-609

Gemmell, R.T. 1995. Breeding biology of brushtail possums Trichosurus vulpecula (Marsupialia: Phalangeridae) in captivity. Australian Mammalogy 18: 1-8

Gemmell, R.T., Cepon, G. & Sernia, C. 1993. Effect of photoperiod on the breeding season of the marsupial possum Trichosurus vulpecula. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 98: 515-520

Gemmell, R.T. & Cepon, G. 1993. The development of thermoregulation in the marsupial brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A 106: 167-174

Gemmell, R.T. & Hendrichz, J.K. 1993. Growth rates of the bandicoot Isoodon macrourus and the brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula. Australian Journal of Zoology 41: 141-149

Gemmell, R.T. & Sernia, C. 1992. The role of photoperiod on the initiation of the breeding season of the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 1992: 701-708

Gilmore, D.P. 1977. The success of marsupials as introduced species. pp. 169-178 in Stonehouse, B. & Gilmore, D. (eds). Biology of Marsupials. London : Macmillan.

Gilmore, D.P. 1984. Organ-body weight relationships in the common brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula (Marsupialia: Phalangeridae). Australian Mammalogy 7: 131-138

Green, W.O. & Coleman, J.D. 1984. Response of a brush-tailed possum population to intensive trapping. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 11: 319-328

Green, W.Q. 1984. A review of ecological studies relevant to management of the common brushtail possum. pp. 483-499 in Smith, A. & Hume, I. (eds). Possums and Gliders. Sydney : Surrey Beatty & Sons, Australian Mammal Society 598 pp.

Green, W.Q. 1986. Control of the possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) in New Zealand. pp. 249-259 in Richards, C.G.J. & Ku, T.Y. (eds). Control of mammal pests. London : Taylor and Francis.

Green, W.Q. & Coleman, J.D. 1987. Den sites of possums, Trichosurus vulpecula, and frequency of use in mixed hardwood forest in Westland, New Zealand. Australian Wildlife Research 14: 285-292

Grigor, M.R., Bennett, B.L., Carne, A. & Cowan, P.E. 1991. Whey protein of the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula): isolation, characterization and changes in concentration in milk during lactation of transferrin, alpha-lactalbumin and serum albumin. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology B 98: 451-459

Hall, L.S. & Hughes, R.L. 1987. An evolutionary perspective of structural adaptations for environmental perception and utilization by the neonatal marsupials Trichosurus vulpecula (Phalangeridae) and Didelphis virginiana (Didelphidae). pp. 257-271 in Archer, M. (ed.). Possums and Opossums: studies in evolution. Sydney : Surrey Beatty & Sons with the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales 2 vols lxxii 788 pp.

Harman, A.M. 1995. The optic chiasm of Australian marsupials. Australian Journal of Zoology 43: 467-477

Harris, P.M., Dellow, D.W. & Broadhurst, R.B. 1985. Protein and energy requirements and deposition in the growing brushtail possum and rex rabbit. Australian Journal of Zoology 33: 425-436

Hayman, D.L. & Rodger, J.C. 1990. Meiosis in male and female Trichosurus vulpecula (Marsupialia). Heredity 64: 251-254

Haynes, J.I. 1995. Parathyroid morphology of the brush-tail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula. Anatomical Records 241: 401-410

Hogg, B.W., Catcheside, L.M., Mercer, G.J.K., Pearson, A.J. & Ashby, M.G. 1992. Carcass composition and meat quality of brush-tail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula). Meat Science 31: 327-341

How, R.A. & Kerle, J.A. 1995. Common Brushtail Possum Trichosurus vulpecula. pp. 273-275 in Strahan, R. (ed.). The Mammals of Australia: The National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife. Sydney : Reed New Holland 756 pp.

Hughes, R.L. & Hall, L.S. 1984. Embryonic development in the common brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula. pp. 197-212 in Smith, A. & Hume, I. (eds). Possums and Gliders. Sydney : Surrey Beatty & Sons, Australian Mammal Society 598 pp.

Inions, G.B., Tanton, M.T. & Davey, S.M. 1989. Effect of fire on the availability of hollows in trees used by the common brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula Kerr, 1792, and the ringtail possum, Pseudocheirus peregrinus Boddaert, 1785. Australian Wildlife Research 16: 449-458

James, E.A. & Green, R.H. 1982. Population structure and age determination in a series of skulls from four populations of the Tasmanian brush-tailed possum Trichosurus vulpecula. Records of the Queen Victoria Museum, Launceston 80: 1-12

Jollie, S.E., Scobie, S. & Coleman, M.C. 1995. Breeding capacity of female brushtail possums Trichosurus vulpecula in captivity. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 22: 325-330

Jolly, S.E. 1993. Carbon dioxide as an anaesthetic agent for use on the brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula (Marsupialia: Phalangeridae). Australian Mammalogy 16: 67-68

Jolly, S.E., Eason, C.T., Frampton, C. & Gumbrell, R.C. 1994. The anticoagulent pindone causes liver damage in the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). Australian Veterinary Journal 71: 220

Jones, B. & Hillcox, S. 1995. A survey of the possums Trichosurus vulpecula and Pseudocheirus occidentalis and their habitats in forest at Ludlow, Western Australia. Western Australian Naturalist 1995: 139-150

Kerle, A. 2001. Possums: The Brushtails, Ringtails and Greater Glider. Sydney : University of NSW Press.

Kerle, J.A. 1984. Variation in the ecology of Trichosurus: its adaptive significance. pp. 115-128 in Smith, A. & Hume, I. (eds). Possums and Gliders. Sydney : Surrey Beatty & Sons, Australian Mammal Society 598 pp.

Kerle, J.A. 1985. Habitat preference and diet of the northern brushtail possum Trichosurus arnhemensis in the Alligator Rivers region, N.T. Proceedings of the Ecological Society of Australia 13: 161-176

Kerle, J.A. 1998. The population dynamics of a tropical possum, Trichosurus vulpecula arnhemensis Collett. Wildlife Research 25: 171-181

Kerle, J.A., Foulkes, J.N., Kimber, R.G. & Papenfus, D. 1992. The decline of the brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula (Kerr, 1798) in arid Australia. Rangeland Journal 14: 107-127

Kerle, J.A., McKay, G.M. & Sharman, G.B.A. 1991. A systematic analysis of the brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula (Kerr, 1792) (Marsupialia: Phalangeridae). Australian Journal of Zoology 39: 313-331

Kerle, J.A. & Howe, C.J. 1992. The breeding biology of a tropical possum Trichosurus vulpecula arnhemensis (Phalangeridae: Marsupialia). Australian Journal of Zoology 40: 107-127

Kerr, J.B. & Weiss, M. 1991. Spontaneous or experimentally induced formation of a special zone in the adrenal cortex of the adult brush-tailed possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). American Journal of Anatomy 190: 101-117

Landsberg, J. 1987. Feeding preferences of common brushtail possums, Trichosurus vulpecula, on seedlings of a woodland eucalypt. Australian Wildlife Research 14: 361-369

Laurance, W.F. 1990. Effects of weather on marsupial folivore activity in a north Queensland upland tropical rainforest. Australian Mammalogy 13: 41-47

Laurance, W.F. & Laurance, S.G.W. 1996. Response of five arboreal marsupials to recent selective logging in tropical Australia. Biotropica 28: 310-322

MacLennan, D.G. 1984. The feeding behaviour and activity patterns of the brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula, in an open eucalypt woodland in southeast Queensland. pp. 155-161 in Smith, A. & Hume, I. (eds). Possums and Gliders. Sydney : Surrey Beatty & Sons, Australian Mammal Society 598 pp.

Mate, K.E. & Rodger, J.C. 1991. Stability of the acrosome of the brush-tailed possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) and tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) in vitro and after exposure to conditions and agents known to cause capacitation or acrosomal reaction of eutherian spermatozoa. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 91: 41-48

McArthur, C. & Turner, S. 1997. Feeding preferences of captive brushtail possums for eucalypt and acacia foliage. Tasforests 9: 155-162

McIlroy, J.C. 1983. The sensitivity of the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) to 1080 poison. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 6: 125-131

McLeod, B.J., Thompson, E.G., Crawford, J.L. & Shackell, G.H. 1997. Successful group housing of wild-caught brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula). Animal Welfare 6: 67-76

Mead, R.J., Moulden, D.L. & Twigg, L.E. 1985. Significance of sulfhydryl compounds in the manifestation of fluoroacetate toxicity to the rat, brush-tailed possum, woylie and western grey kangaroo. Australian Journal of Biological Sciences 38: 139-149

Morgan, D.R. 1982. Field acceptance of non-toxic and toxic baits by populations of the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula Kerr). New Zealand Journal of Ecology 5: 36-43

Morgan, D.R. 1990. Behavioural response of brushtail possums, Trichosurus vulpecula, to baits used in pest control. Australian Wildlife Research 17: 601-613

Morgan, D.R & Sinclair, M.J. 1983. A bibliography of the brush-tailed possum (Trichosurus vulpecula Kerr). New Zealand Forest Research Institute Bulletin 25: 79

Munks, S.A., Corkrey, R. & Foley, W.J. 1996. Characteristics of arboreal marsupial habitat in the semi-arid woodlands of Northern Queensland. Wildlife Research 23: 185-195

Neylon, L. & Haight, J.R. 1983. Neocortical projections of the suprageniculate and posterior thalamic nuclei in the marsupial brush-tailed possum, Trichosurus vulpecula (Phalangeridae), with a comparative commentary of the organization of the posterior thalamus in marsupial and placental mammals. Journal of Comparative Neurology 217: 357-375

O'Keefe, J.S., Stanislawek, W.L. & Heath, D.D. 1997. Pathological studies of wobbly possum disease in New Zealand brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula). Veterinary Record 141: 226-229

Owen, H.J. & Norton, D.A. 1995. The diet of introduced brushtail possums Trichosurus vulpecula in a low-diversity New Zealand Nothofagus forest and possible implications for conservation management. Biological Conservation 71: 339-346

Paterson, B.M., Morris, R.S., Weston, J. & Cowan, P.E. 1995. Foraging and denning patterns of brushtail possums, and their possible relationship to contact with cattle and the transmission of bovine tuberculosis. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 43: 281-288

Presidente, P.J.A. 1982. Common brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula: maintenance in captivity, blood values, diseases and parasites. pp. 55-66 in Evans, D.D. (ed.). The Management of Australian Mammals in Captivity. Proceedings of the Scientific Meeting of the Australian Mammal Society, Healesville, Victoria, February 1979. Melbourne : Zoological Board of Victoria 194 pp.

Presidente, P.J.A. 1984. Parasites and diseases of brushtail possums (Trichosurus spp.): occurrence and significance. pp. 171-190 in Smith, A. & Hume, I. (eds). Possums and Gliders. Sydney : Surrey Beatty & Sons, Australian Mammal Society 598 pp.

Procter-Gray, E. 1984. Dietary ecology of the Coppery brushtail possum, Green ringtail possum and Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo in North Queensland. pp. 129-135 in Smith, A. & Hume, I. (eds). Possums and Gliders. Sydney : Surrey Beatty & Sons, Australian Mammal Society 598 pp.

Reddell, P., Spain, A.V. & Hopkins, M. 1997. Dispersal of spores of mycorrhizal fungi in scats of native mammals in tropical forests of northeastern Australia. Biotropica 29: 184-192

Ride, W.D.L. 1970. A Guide to the Native Mammals of Australia. Melbourne : Oxford University Press xiv 249 pp. 62 pls. [224] (presenting alternative taxonomic arrangement T. arnhemensis treated as a separate species)

Roberts, M.G. 1996. The dynamics of bovine tuberculosis in possum population, and its eradication or control by culling or vaccination. Journal of Animal Ecology 65: 451-464

Rodger, J.C., Cousins, S.J. & Mate, K.E. 1991. A simple glycerol-based freezing protocol for the semen of a marsupial Trichosurus vulpecula, the common brushtail possum. Reproduction, Fertility and Development 3: 119-125

Sakaguchi, E. & Hume, I.D. 1990. Digesta retention and fibre digestion in brushtail possums, ringtail possums and rabbits. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A 96: 351-354

Sanderson, K.J. 1984. Development of the visual system in the brushtailed possum. pp. 145-154 in Stone, J., Dreher, B. & Rapaport, D.H. (eds). Development of visual pathways in mammals. New York : Alan R. Liss.

Sanderson, K.J. & O'Driscoll, M. 1986. Breeding season of brushtail possums, Trichosurus vulpecula (Marsupialia: Phalangeridae), in Adelaide. Australian Mammalogy 9: 139-140

Shepherd, K.A., Wardell-Johnson, G.W., Loneragan, W.A. & Bell, D.T. 1997. Diet of the herbivorous marsupials in a Eucalyptus marginata forest and their impact on the understorey. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 80: 47-54

Short, J. & Turner, B. 1994. A test of the vegetation mosaic hypothesis: A hypothesis to explain the decline and extinction of Australian mammals. Conservation Biology 8: 439-449

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History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
29-Oct-2010 29-Oct-2010 MOVED
12-Feb-2010 (import)