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Coppery Brushtail Possum Photos

Trichosurus johnstonii

Well this was fun! When we stayed at the Rainforest Canopy Treehouses near Tarzali, the owner provided us with bananas and birdseed, to attract birds and...other critters. Before arriving, I knew that Coppery Brushtail Possums would often come to the decks of the treehouses at night, feeding on offered fruit. It certainly didn't take long to find out those stories were true! Our first night, it was perhaps half an hour after sundown when the first Possum showed up on the deck. They weren't being meek, either! The first headed directly for the bird feeder, which still had some seeds from when I was feeding birds that day. But they also LOVED bananas! 

They are wild animals, and their behavior was a little unnerving at times! In general, I was out on the deck with them while the family watched from the door. It was a good arrangement, because the owner warned us these little buggers would try to get inside! Having someone man the door was a good idea! Whenever I would try to go in, or whenever the door cracked, one of these guys would often dart towards the door opening! They were also a little aggressive with each other on occasion, with one chasing another across the deck.

I think if I let them, they would have GLADLY sat in my lap and ate banana. However, I settled for feeding them banana slices by hand, but only while they sat on the deck railing or the deck table. That's the first photo here...a Possum eating a couple of slices of banana that I just handed him.

Pretty cool little critters! And they typically stayed on the deck all...night...long! A bit unnerving at times, when they'd get in a little skirmish and it would wake us up! The 2nd photo shows where they liked to hang out at night, in the rafters of the deck. VERY cool little critters, and we are so glad we chose to stay at the Rainforest Canopy Treehouses!

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Coppery Brushtail Possum - Trichosurus johnstonii

Click on photos below for a higher-resolution view

Coppery Brushtail Possum 1 - Trichosurus johnstonii Coppery Brushtail Possum 2 - Trichosurus johnstonii Coppery Brushtail Possum 3 - Trichosurus johnstonii

June, 2019
Near Tarzali, Australia

June, 2019
Near Tarzali, Australia

June, 2019
Near Tarzali, Australia

Coppery Brushtail Possum 4 - Trichosurus johnstonii Coppery Brushtail Possum 5 - Trichosurus johnstonii  

June, 2019
Near Tarzali, Australia

June, 2019
Near Tarzali, Australia

 

 

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