Common Ringtail Possum
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| Pseudocheirus peregrinus (Boddaert, 1785) |
The Common Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus, Greek for "false hand" and Latin for "pilgrim" or "alien") is an Australian marsupial. The Common Ringtail is a nocturnal herbivore, which weighs between 550 and 1100 g. It has grey fur with white patches behind the eyes and usually a cream coloured belly. It has a long prehensile tail which normally displays a distinctive white tip over 25% of its length. The back feet are syndactyl which helps it to climb.
The Common Ringtail Possum eats a variety of leaves of both native and introduced plants, as well as flowers and fruits. This possum also consumes a special type of faeces that are produced during the daytime when it is resting in a nest. This behaviour is called coprophagia and is similar to that seen in rabbits.
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[edit] References
- ^ Groves, Colin (16 November 2005). in Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 51. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.
- ^ Australasian Marsupial & Monotreme Specialist Group (1996). Pseudocheirus peregrinus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006.
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