Squirrels, Possums,Gliders & Quolls -

Squirrels, Possums, Gliders & Quolls

Squirrels

Eurasian Red Squirrel

The Red Squirrel is the smallest squirrel in the world growing to 15cm long and 3cm in height.They are the lightest squirrels on the planet weighing up to 1.5kg. It lives in Europe and Asia. It's habitat is tree areas near the road, building sites with the remains of trees and shrubsa and also back garden especially the small houses. Their diet is small fruit, peanuts and the bark of the trees especially the high bits where it can have peace from the humans. Red squirrels are very rare to see but great job if you see some. These squirrels range in colour from a browinsh-redish colour to a redish-grey colour. They common to see when they are active but when they are having food they are normally quite hard to see. Eurasian Red Squirrel's threats are the Grey Squirrel which is the only one.

Formosan Long-nosed Squirrel

The Formosan Long-nosed Squirrel can grow up to 25cm and 5cm high. Their weight can weigh up to 2kg. It lives in Taipei,Toroko Gorge,Sun Moon Lake and near boardwalking paths which all those places are in Taiwan an island east of China. It's diet is peanuts,berries and small fruit also bark. Their threats are the Formosan Black Bear, Asian Black Bear and the Formosan Rock Macquae which is a type of monkey. Formosan Long-nosed Squirrel's are very common to see in Taipei especially at Peace Park. They are brown everywhere even the nose including ears, toes, eyes and also mouth. These squirrels can range from colours from greyish-brown to brown. Most people in Taipei near peace park go their to see, feed and also take photos of them because they are very commom. I have see 13 in the wild at peace park, 4 in toroko gorge and 8 in sun moon lake.

Grey Squirrel

The Grey Squirrel is the largest squirrel in the world growing up to a length of 30cm long and 10cm high which means it is as big as a rabbit or maybe a baby cheetah. Grey Squirrels are also the heaviest squirrel weighing up to 3.5kg. It lives in North England, Central England and Coastal England. It's habitat is near trees next to roads,parks, building areas and also backyards especially small houses. The Grey Squirrels diet is fruit,peanuts and also the Red Squirrel from England too. They have a white underbelly but everywhere else is grey.

Possums

Pygmy Possums

Eastern Pygmy Possum

Eastern Pygmy Possum's has a specialised brush-tipped tongue for eating nectar, but it also feeds on seeds and some types of insects especially ants and spiders. They can weigh up to 45g which is 20x smaller than our finger in weight. They live everywhere in Tasmania, East coast of NSW and queensland including Southern Victoria. They are vulnerble in Nsw and a tiny bit of SA but they are secure in Tasmania,Victoria and Queensland. Their threats are Carnivorous mammals, owls, snakes and habitat loss. If they are upset they would make a hissing sound like a snake to make the threat go away. Eastern Pygmy possum's are one of the most widespread possum's covering 950 suburbs. Eastern Pygmy possum's live in forests where their is rocks and water. If they are disturbed by a animal they will try to go into a tree with no snakes or owls. Nests are normally built by the females when it is about breeding time. They can have up to 1- 5babies at one time.

Little Pygmy Possum

The Little Pygmy Possum is and adept climber with a prehensile tail,but prefers to dwell in shrubs close to ground, where it will undergo torpor if needed. They can weigh up to 10g and 28x smaller than our finger. At 6-10g this is the smallest of the conitent's possums. Little Pygmy Possums are nocturnal and secretive species, little known about it's behaviour. Their diet is Athropods, small reptiles, and some types of nectar. These tiny creatures threats are Dingoes, Cats, Carnivorous mammals, snakes and owls. They can grow to 14cm long and 4cm high. They live everywhere in Tasmania except fro the SW corner including west victoria and east south australia. They are secure in Victoria but not south australia. In south australia they are endangered. Little Pygmy Possum's have good night eye sight. They live in foresty areas with grass,water,trees and some types of bark. They may go into torpor for up to six days in the cold weather of the winter. They make nests out of sticks and branches that have fallen.

Long-tailed Pygmy Possum

Australia's only rainforest Pygmy-Possum,the Long-tailed Pygmy Possum inhabits areas between Townsville and Cooktown,where it is confused with the Prehensile-tailed Rat which shares it's range. It lives in Qld at the NE point near cairns but a bit above cairns. They have 4 threats which are owls,pythons,spotted-tailed quolls and deforestation. They can grow to 26cm and can be 6cm tall.They can weigh up to 40g these little scavengers.Their diet is Nectar and some types of insects especially ants. They are secure and they are very common to see at dark time because they are nocturnal. But when it is daytime they are one of the hardest Possum's to see.

Mountain Pygmy-Possum

The Mountain Pygmy-Possum was recorded in 1895 from fossil remains, but only found living in 1966.It is the only Australian mammal to occupy an alpine-subalpine range and the only native mammal to hibernate for prolonged periods. They have 4 threats and they are Feral predators, Dingoes, Global warming and habitat loss. The Mountain Pygmy-Possum can weigh up to 80g. These tiny creatures are about 28cm long and 5.5cm high. The Mountain Pygmy-Possums diet is Arthropods,bogong-moths,seeds,fruits of snow-beard Heath and Plum pine. They live in the NE bit of Victoria and the SE of New south wales. They are the longest Pygmy Possum in Australia. Mountain Pygmy-Possums are threatened near Victoria at the moment. They are very very rare in Victoria.

Western Pygmy Possum

This tiny species is a prolific breeder,which thankfully counteracts a high-level of predatation of cats,foxes and other predators. It sleeps deeply by day,curling itself up and covering its eyes with its large, thin ears. The Western Pygmy Possum can weigh up to 20g which 0.02kg. It can be as long as 17cm and it can be as high as 3-5cm.It's diet is insects and nectar,grasping food in like forepaws. It's threats are Cats, Dingoes, Foxes, Land clearing and Development. They live in Perth, Kalgoolie, Esperance, Albany and Adelaide. Western Pygmy possum are the fastest type of Pygmy Possum's of it's weight and size.Their paws are 14x smaller than our thumb. Western Pygmy Possums are the most widespread of all the pygmy possums covering over 1000 suburbs in Aus. Western Pygmy Possums are not nocturnal but they don't sleep at night.

Ringtail Possum's

Common Ringtail possum

Common ringtail possums can grow to 70cm long and be as tall as 30cm tall. They can weigh up to 1.4kg in their weight which is probobaly about the weight of a bottle of water at the supermarket. They live from the Daintree forest of north queensland along the coast al the way to adelaide tasmania. It is the most widespread ringtail possum in australia. Their diet is leaves,flowers,and fruits. Their threats are Cats and foxes are probobaly major predators but they also have another threat which is habitat destruction. Their habitat is suburban gardens to rainforests, woodlands,eucalypt forests and coastal shrublands. Common Ringtail possums are one of the only Ringtail possum that has gum leaves as it's diet. They make the nest as 1 square meter. They are secure today.

Daintree River Ringtail possum

Daintree River Ringtail possums grow to 78cm long and 38cm high. They weigh up to 1.45Kg which is similar to the Herbert River Ringtail possum. This possum live in the Daintree forest of QLD where there is alot of trees. Their diet is Leaves and fruits off rainforest trees. Their threats are Dingoes,Pythons,Sootly Owls and the Spotted tailed Quoll. They are rare and near threatened on the NE coast of QLD. They normally give birth to 2 babies and will breed in Apr-June. They are greyish-brown with a tiny bit of black at the front which is a stripe from the ears to the nose. When they are threatened from pythons they leap to other trees.

Green Ringtail possum

The Green Ringtail possum can grow to 73cm long and 36cm high. It can weigh up to 1.35Kg which is about the weigh of a rabbit or guinea pig. They live in two tiny areas which are a tiny bit of the daintree forest in QLD and also cairns. Theses medium sized mammals diet is Foliage of fig trees,Kurrajong,oaks and Rose maple which are mainly trees. They live in forests and scrublands. Their threats are the Spotted-tailed quoll,owls and logging. They are near threatened in cairns but in the daintree forest they are common to see but they are very rare too. The Green Ringtail possum is superbly camoflauged in the forest canopy from its colour.

Herbert River Ringtail possum

The Herbert River Ringtail possum is the largest possum in Australia up to 1 meter long and 44cm high. The adults weigh up 1.53Kg and the juveniles weigh up to 130g. They also live in the Daintree forest ranging from the north-east coast to the north. Their diet is high protein leaves of rainforest plants, including Pink ash,Paperbark Satinash and the fruits of the Silver Quandong among their is others. They live in rainforest and some types of scrublands. Their threats are Carpet pythons,owls and deforestation are their main threats but their are 2 more threats. They are near threatened and rare in QLD. They breed in May-July which is 4 months of breeding time. They have a white belly and black body but around the eye they are grey. They have some pinkish-brown paws which are good to leap and run as well as lightness and control.

Lemuroid Ringtail possum

The Lemuroid Ringtail possum can grow to 78cm long and 37cm high. They weigh up to 1.1kg which is quite light for a Ringtail possum. They also live in the Daintree forest and Cairns which is the same area where the Green Ringtail possum lives. Their diet is Folivores that feed mainly on Queensland Maple,Brown Quandong and Tamarind leaves also some flowers and fruit. They live in forests and scrublands. Their threats are Carpet pythons and deforestation. They are rare and near threatened in the Cairns area but they are secure in the daintree forest. Lemuroid Ringtail possum are extremly nimble in the treetops and leap 2-3 meters.

Rock Ringtail possum

The Rock Ringtail possum is the smallest of all the ringtail possums growing to 65cm long and 20cm high. It is the heaviest possum to weighing up to 2kg. They live in the kimberley in the middle and darwin the far north coming down to Mt isa in QLD. Their diet is Blossoms and fruit particularly darwin woollybutt,stringybark and billy goat plums. They live in gorges and some places where there is grass and bridges where their is olive pythons and dingoes. Their threats are Dingoes,Olive pythons and human intrusion. They are secure everywhere apart from QLD. They are mostly seen at day time when it is on the move on the hunt. Rock ringtail possums are the only possum that lives in gorges and rocky areas.

Western Ringtail possum

Western Ringtail possums are the 2nd largest ringtail possum growing to 80cm long and 45cm high. The adults can weigh up to 1.3kg and the babies can weigh up to just over 50g. They live on the perth coast down to pemberton and also live in albany and some parts in the middle of perth. Their diet is mainly the leaves of Peppermint trees, but also Marri and Jarrah leaves. Their threats are foxes and habitat destruction. These tiny creatures are vulnerble everywhere in WA. They are most likely seen at night time on a tree branch at the karri valley resort in pemberton. Western Ringtail possums have blackish areas on their head,grey on their body and whitish-yellow on their belly. They are the only ringtail possums that lives in perth. At nightime they hunt for their prey while they are asleep. They have one of the most powerful bite of all the possums.

Brushtail possums

Common Brushtail possum

Common Brushtail possums can grow to 1 meter long and 26cm high. They weigh 4.5kg which means it is one of the heaviest possum's in australia. Their diet is foliage, fruit, flowers, insects, birds, eggs and human refuse. These medium sized creatures threats are dingoes, monitors, pythons, foxes, cats and dogs also attack these possums. They live everywhere in perth, victoria, tasmania, east queensland,north kimberley and also north darwin. It is the most widespread brushtail possum in Australia. They live mainly in forests and other woodlands areas but they especially like pemberton in the perth region. They are secure everywhere in Australia except from melbourne and hobart. They are normally goldish-grey with a black circle around it's nose.

Mountain Brushtail possum

The Mountain Brushtail Possum can reach a length of 95 centimeters long and 36cm high. Mountain Brushtail Possums are the heaviest possum's in Australia weighing up to 6kg. They live in forests and some national parks.

Short-eared Brushtail possum

The Short-eared Brushtail possum can grow to 94cm long and nearly 34cm high. It can weigh up to 4.5kg which is about 3 full coke bottles. It lives in brisbane and sydney including north of sydney and south of brisbane. It lives in forest like most other possums do. It's diet is flowers, fruit, foliage, seeds,fungi, lichen and bark. It's threats are Spotted-tailed quolls,Carpet pythons and also dingoes. Their status at the moment is secure near the border of NSW and QLD. They normally breed in autumn which is March to May. Their tail is black and their body is grey. Short-eared Brushtail Possums have a black circle around it's nose and also 2 around its 2 eyes. They normally come down to the ground to move from to another tree,they are largely arboreal and nocturnal. Individuals are thought to be solitary. They are the same length as a Mountain Brushtail Possum at 92cm long.