Didelphis vulpecula Skull Replica or Brush-Tailed Possum measures 3.9 inches. Brush-Tailed Possum Skull Replica is museum quality polyurethane cast. 2-part skull (separate cranium & jaw).
The Didelphis vulpecula or Common Brushtail Possum has large and pointed ears. Its bushy tail is adapted to grasping branches, prehensile at the end with a hairless ventral patch.
Its fore feet have sharp claws and the first toe of each hind foot is clawless, but has a strong grasp. The possum grooms itself with the third and fourth toes which are fused together.
It has a thick and woolly pelage that varies in colour depending on the subspecies. Color patterns tend to be silver-grey, brown, black, red, or cream. The ventral areas are typically lighter and the tail is usually brown or black. The muzzle is marked with dark patches.
The Didelphis vulpecula or Common Brushtail Possum has a head and body length of 32 to 58 cm with a tail length of 24 to 40 cm. It weighs 1.2-4.5 kg.
Males are generally larger than females. In addition, the coat of the male tends to be reddish at the shoulders. The female brushtail possum has a forward-opening, well-developed pouch.
The chest of both sexes has a scent gland that emits a reddish secretion which stains that fur around it. It marks its territory with these secretions.
The Didelphis vulpecula or Common Brushtail Possum is nocturnal. It is mainly a folivore, but has been known to eat small mammals such as rats. In most Australian habitats, eucalyptus leaves are a significant part of the diet, but rarely the sole item eaten.
Its tail is prehensile and naked on its lower underside. The four color variations are silver-grey, brown, black, and gold.
It is the Australian marsupial most often seen by city dwellers, as it is one of few that thrive in cities and a wide range of natural and human-modified environments.
Around human habitations, Common Brushtail Possums are determined foragers with a liking for fruit trees, vegetable gardens, and kitchen raids.
Its once vast distribution alone has been greatly affected by drought, epizootic disease and intrusion of invasive mammals into its habitat.
The Common Brushtail Possum was introduced to New Zealand in the 1850s to establish a fur industry, but in the mild subtropical climate of New Zealand, and with few to no natural predators, it thrived to the extent that it became a major agricultural and conservation pest.
The Common Brushtail Possum is a social animal and remains in contact with its group through sounds and scents. At times, particularly during the breeding season, it makes piercing screeches in the middle of the night to establish territories and warn of danger.
The Didelphis vulpecula or Common Brushtail Possum’s main predators include Dingoes, pythons, foxes and cats.
