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Physically, they appear very similar to the pygmy possums, except for their greater size. Even so, they are relatively small animals, with the largest being cat-sized, and they weigh between 200 grams and 2 kilograms.
Their teeth, though, are not as highly adapted to this diet as other possums, and they also eat fruit, and even some invertebrates. The only exception to these general rules is the ground cuscus , which is carnivorous , and is also less arboreal than other phalangerid species. [ 3 ]
When an opossum is "playing possum", the animal's lips are drawn back, the teeth are bared, saliva foams around the mouth, the eyes close or half-close, and a foul-smelling fluid is secreted from the anal glands. The stiff, curled form can be prodded, turned over, and even carried away without reaction.
Pygmy possums have large eyes, long ears, and curling, prehensile tails they use to climb and hols onto tree branches. In times of plenty, the base of their tails can be quite round and fat.
Ringtail possums prefer forests of dense brush, particularly eucalyptus forests. [5] The common ringtail possum and its relatives occupy a range of niches similar to those of lemurs, monkeys, squirrels, and bushbabies in similar forests on other continents. [6] It is less prolific and less widespread than the common brushtail possum.
The common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula, from the Greek for "furry tailed" and the Latin for "little fox", previously in the genus Phalangista [4]) is a nocturnal, semiarboreal marsupial of the family Phalangeridae, native to Australia and invasive in New Zealand, and the second-largest of the possums.
Diprotodontia (/ d aɪ ˌ p r oʊ t ə ˈ d ɒ n t i ə /, from Greek "two forward teeth") is the largest extant order of marsupials, with about 155 species, [2] including the kangaroos, wallabies, possums, koala, wombats, and many others. Extinct diprotodonts include the hippopotamus-sized Diprotodon, and Thylacoleo, the so-called "marsupial ...
Why you should tilt forward when taking a pill. Are you taking pills the wrong way? Experts break down the best position, the truth about empty stomachs and more.