Common Brushtail
Trichosurus vulpecula
Also known as: Common Brush-Tailed Possum, Common Brushtail Possum, Silver-Gray Brushtail Possum, Silvergrey Possum, Silver-Grey Possum
About This Species
A nocturnal, tree-dwelling marsupial found in forests, woodlands, and increasingly suburban gardens across Australia and introduced populations in New Zealand, most easily found after dark with a spotlight or torch scanning tree canopies and rooflines. It gives a range of harsh, growling, and hissing calls at night, often the first sign of its presence, and dens in tree hollows or roof spaces by day. Warm, dry evenings year-round are reliable for spotlighting, with activity often heaviest just after dusk.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- A distance of several metres and a red-filtered spotlight rather than a direct white beam reduces stress when observing at night.
- In Australia it is a protected native species under state wildlife legislation, so handling, feeding, or relocating one without a permit is generally an offence; in New Zealand, by contrast, it is an introduced pest with no such protection and is actively controlled.
- Avoid disturbing den sites in tree hollows or roof spaces, and never attempt to handle or corner an animal.
Seasonal Activity
264,136 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Diprotodontia
- Family
- Phalangeridae
Photo
(c) Darren Jew, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Darren Jew
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.