Not that I've named every mammal on the property. That would be silly.
The two possums that patrol the garden each evening have no names. They might have their own names, of course, but I haven't given them any. They're coppery brushtails (Trichosurus vulpecula johnstonii), a subspecies endemic to the Atherton Tablelands.
Like their lowland relatives, coppery brushtails are compulsively inquistive. Although the darker one (top pic) is happy to peer at me from a couple of metres away, the lighter one (lower pic) will often sit on the outside sill with his face and paws pressed up against the glass. As I type this, he is trying to scale the window frame. The sound of possum claws against metal is not pleasant. Yet another reason to keep the unscreened windows shut after dark.
7 comments:
I dunno, B... I'm beginning to picture your new 'hood as a sort of Alfred Hitchcok-meets-Peter Rabbit mashup.
It's simultaneously hilarious and weird when I look over from the computer and there's a furry, bug-eyed face presed against the glass.
During the day, the brush turkeys do something similar. They're even funnier because all you can see is a scrawny, bald red head and neck --- looking a bit like a plastic chicken on a stick.
Nice description, esp of the Brush Turkey.
Possums looks cute, as long as they don't break into your house, or roof.
Cheers
Denis
I reckon if you did have screens on your windows they wouldn't last long with possum nails tearing at them!
The possums are welcome in the car port but that's as far as it goes! I must check the roof for entry points bt I think it's relatively possum proof --- cyclone regs etc. This could be a case of famous last words ...
Please can we have a photo of the possum with its face pressed up against the window? Please?
I've been trying to get a pic because it's such an appealing sight, but the problem is the flash reflecting off the glass. But I'll give it another go.
It's especially cute when he struggles onto the narrow and sloping sill. It's like a watching a panda climb.
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