Thursday, December 17, 2009
NZ possums 18/12/09
Dealing humanely with the NZ possums appears to be still along way from reality. Heres a very good article here... http://candobetter.org/node/1687
Monday, November 16, 2009
Possum Stuff 17/11/09
There are 23 described species of possum in Australia and at least as many species in New Guinea. A related species is sufficiently different to warrant its own superfamily -- the honey-possum of south-western Australia.
The possums are divided into three major families: the ringtail possums and gliders (Family Petauridae); the brushtail possums and cuscuses (Family Phalangeridae) and the pygmy possums and feathertail glider (Family Burramyidae). The fine details of the relationships between the possums is still unclear and no doubt new findings will result in changes to their classification.
The Australian possums were so named because of their supposed similarity to the opossums of South America. In fact, the two groups are not closely related apart from both being aboreal (tree-dwelling) marsupials. Indeed, some old-timers still refer to these animals as opossums and Opossum Bay, an outer suburb of Hobart, takes its name from the misnomer.
The possums are divided into three major families: the ringtail possums and gliders (Family Petauridae); the brushtail possums and cuscuses (Family Phalangeridae) and the pygmy possums and feathertail glider (Family Burramyidae). The fine details of the relationships between the possums is still unclear and no doubt new findings will result in changes to their classification.
The Australian possums were so named because of their supposed similarity to the opossums of South America. In fact, the two groups are not closely related apart from both being aboreal (tree-dwelling) marsupials. Indeed, some old-timers still refer to these animals as opossums and Opossum Bay, an outer suburb of Hobart, takes its name from the misnomer.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Baby Possum Rescued
A baby possum under threat of extinction hung on to its life on Wednesday, October 28, when it was rescued from the jaws of a cat. Eagle's Nest Wildlife Hospital president Harry Kunz came to the rescue of the brown lemuroid ringtail possum when he saw it being taken by a cat at East Evelyn on Wednesday morning. He said the possum 's species was on its way to extinction due to climate change, but they were often killed by cats, dogs and barbed wire too. He said the cat dropped a large female possum after he stopped his car and chased it.
The possum was dead, but nestled inside her pouch was a five-month-old baby. "The mother had her throat completely munched up," Mr Kunz said. Mr Kunz said he would raise the baby possum and release it back into the wild. The Lemuroid possum is found in just two locations, at the Carbine Tablelands at the Daintree and at the Atherton Tableland. The Daintree population of the possum was until recently believed wiped out during a heat wave in 2005.
The possum was dead, but nestled inside her pouch was a five-month-old baby. "The mother had her throat completely munched up," Mr Kunz said. Mr Kunz said he would raise the baby possum and release it back into the wild. The Lemuroid possum is found in just two locations, at the Carbine Tablelands at the Daintree and at the Atherton Tableland. The Daintree population of the possum was until recently believed wiped out during a heat wave in 2005.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Baby Possums being Killed!
Baby brushtail possums still in their mother’s pouch are being killed as part of a possum cull by the Sydney Botanic Gardens Trust. The Trust is licenced by the NSW Department of Environment to trap and cull the possums to prevent overcrowding, with 400 possums killed by lethal injection since culling began in 2002. Central can reveal that joeys caught along with their mothers in the gardens have been taken to a veterinary clinic in Kingsford and put down. Wildlife carers have criticised the Trust for killing the babies as well as the parents, saying they should be handed over to licenced wildlife foster carers.
Linda Wilson, a volunteer with Sydney Metropolitan Wildlife Services, has been rescuing injured possums in the Botanic Gardens for many years and says she is shocked at the Trust’s attitude towards the possums. “I’m really angry because I approached them a number of times and wrote to them about this, because there are ways we can help them out, such as taking the mothers until the baby’s are old enough to be raised on their own,” she said. A spokeswoman for the Trust said it was standard practice to euthanase mother and baby. “Of the possums euthanased approximately 50 per cent have been female, with about 40 per cent of these females carrying young that would be unable to survive on their own,” she said. “Frequency of trapping varies but over the last year it has averaged once a fortnight.”
Ms Wilson questioned the Trust’s claim that possums were trapped just once a fortnight. “Its eight to 12 traps a week according to people at the Trust I have spoken to,” Ms Wilson said. “That’s a hell of a lot of possums.” The Trust spokeswoman said a recent policy change meant possums with joeys were now being released back into the gardens and a contraceptive trial was being considered to control overpopulation. This follows an article in Central last month revealing wildlife organisations were calling on the Trust to sterilise some adult possums as a way of reducing numbers without killing the animals. Ms Wilson said the Trust had resisted sterilisation and passing on joeys to foster care for the last seven years, because killing them was “an easier, cheaper, option.”
The Trust spokeswoman said overpopulation caused damage to the gardens and to the possums which fought amongst themselves, causing injuries. She said illegal dumping of possums in the gardens had exacerbated this. “The overpopulation of Brush-tailed Possums is caused by a lack of predators and apparent use of the gardens and Domain as a dumping ground for captured possums,” she said. * Central News, Story by Robert Burton-Bradley
Linda Wilson, a volunteer with Sydney Metropolitan Wildlife Services, has been rescuing injured possums in the Botanic Gardens for many years and says she is shocked at the Trust’s attitude towards the possums. “I’m really angry because I approached them a number of times and wrote to them about this, because there are ways we can help them out, such as taking the mothers until the baby’s are old enough to be raised on their own,” she said. A spokeswoman for the Trust said it was standard practice to euthanase mother and baby. “Of the possums euthanased approximately 50 per cent have been female, with about 40 per cent of these females carrying young that would be unable to survive on their own,” she said. “Frequency of trapping varies but over the last year it has averaged once a fortnight.”
Ms Wilson questioned the Trust’s claim that possums were trapped just once a fortnight. “Its eight to 12 traps a week according to people at the Trust I have spoken to,” Ms Wilson said. “That’s a hell of a lot of possums.” The Trust spokeswoman said a recent policy change meant possums with joeys were now being released back into the gardens and a contraceptive trial was being considered to control overpopulation. This follows an article in Central last month revealing wildlife organisations were calling on the Trust to sterilise some adult possums as a way of reducing numbers without killing the animals. Ms Wilson said the Trust had resisted sterilisation and passing on joeys to foster care for the last seven years, because killing them was “an easier, cheaper, option.”
The Trust spokeswoman said overpopulation caused damage to the gardens and to the possums which fought amongst themselves, causing injuries. She said illegal dumping of possums in the gardens had exacerbated this. “The overpopulation of Brush-tailed Possums is caused by a lack of predators and apparent use of the gardens and Domain as a dumping ground for captured possums,” she said. * Central News, Story by Robert Burton-Bradley
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Sydney Botanic Gardens killing Possums!
Almost 400 brush-tailed possums have been culled by the Royal Botanic Gardens Trust since 2002, but environmentalists are now arguing that alternatives should be sought. The Trust receives a licence from the National Parks and Wildlife Service through the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change, which allows the animals to be trapped and taken to a vet to be euthanased. Representatives of the Trust said culling was necessary to deal with overcrowding and damage caused to plants as well as injuries caused by territorial behaviour among possums. Under National Parks guidelines, it is illegal to relocate possums more than 50 metres from where they were caught, because their territorial nature makes survival rates among relocated animals very low.
Some environmentalists suggest a more humane approach to population control should be considered. One environmentalist, who did not wish to be named, said sterilisation of the animals would be a better alternative to culling. This has not been taken up by the Trust, which maintains that culling is the best option. In internal correspondence obtained by Central, a Botanic Gardens Director Mark Savio wrote: “When trapping first started in the Gardens, the possums found were in horrific condition - covered in injuries from fights with other possums and stress dermatitis from overcrowding.’’ According to Mr Savio, at the time of writing, 394 brush-tailed possums had been culled since permission was granted by National Parks in July 2002, an average of 55 a year.
Mr Savio said Botanic Garden’s staff found the overall health of the brush-tailed population improved after culling began. “Because we are managing the population at a sustainable level, such injuries and stress-related illnesses are rare in the trapped possums. Due to our trapping program, our possum population is now much healthier than it used to be,” he wrote. Animal activists have also expressed concern that there had been an increase in the culling in recent weeks. Mr Savio wrote that trapping occurred only “when horticulturalists are having problems with possums damaging plants in a particular area, but no more than once a week”. *SMH
Story by Robert Burton-Bradley
Some environmentalists suggest a more humane approach to population control should be considered. One environmentalist, who did not wish to be named, said sterilisation of the animals would be a better alternative to culling. This has not been taken up by the Trust, which maintains that culling is the best option. In internal correspondence obtained by Central, a Botanic Gardens Director Mark Savio wrote: “When trapping first started in the Gardens, the possums found were in horrific condition - covered in injuries from fights with other possums and stress dermatitis from overcrowding.’’ According to Mr Savio, at the time of writing, 394 brush-tailed possums had been culled since permission was granted by National Parks in July 2002, an average of 55 a year.
Mr Savio said Botanic Garden’s staff found the overall health of the brush-tailed population improved after culling began. “Because we are managing the population at a sustainable level, such injuries and stress-related illnesses are rare in the trapped possums. Due to our trapping program, our possum population is now much healthier than it used to be,” he wrote. Animal activists have also expressed concern that there had been an increase in the culling in recent weeks. Mr Savio wrote that trapping occurred only “when horticulturalists are having problems with possums damaging plants in a particular area, but no more than once a week”. *SMH
Story by Robert Burton-Bradley
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Two Possum Species!
In 2004 it was discovered that possum has been playing tricks with science for nearly two centuries. Since it was first described by biologists in the early 1800s, the mountain brushtail possum was thought to be one species that lived in cool high forest from Melbourne to Gladstone in Queensland.
But Queenslanders being Queenslanders always had another name for their animal - the short-eared possum. Now 15 years of scientific research has proved what many people have long suspected: things are different in the north, for possums at least.
What science now knows is that there are two species: Trichosurus cunninghami south of Sydney and the newly described Trichosurus caninus, which is found from northern NSW to central Queensland.
To vindicate the Queenslanders, their animal is now known as the northern short-eared possum.
Possum expert Professor David Lindenmayer from Canberra's Australian National University, who led the research, said that although many people confuse the two animals with the common brushtail, the Trichosurus vulpecula, the mountain and short-eared possums had very different behaviour and biology.
"The common brushtail is now quite uncommon in the bush, they mostly now live in cities and suburbs," Professor Lindenmayer said. "It is also about 30 per cent smaller and lives from seven to 10 years, while these two species live up to 17.
"The mountain and short-eared possums also have quite stable, settled territories and, compared to the common brushtail, invest a lot more into rearing their young."
But he said it wasn't until they carried out body measurement and DNA analysis that they were able to prove that the northern and southern animals were different species.
But Queenslanders being Queenslanders always had another name for their animal - the short-eared possum. Now 15 years of scientific research has proved what many people have long suspected: things are different in the north, for possums at least.
What science now knows is that there are two species: Trichosurus cunninghami south of Sydney and the newly described Trichosurus caninus, which is found from northern NSW to central Queensland.
To vindicate the Queenslanders, their animal is now known as the northern short-eared possum.
Possum expert Professor David Lindenmayer from Canberra's Australian National University, who led the research, said that although many people confuse the two animals with the common brushtail, the Trichosurus vulpecula, the mountain and short-eared possums had very different behaviour and biology.
"The common brushtail is now quite uncommon in the bush, they mostly now live in cities and suburbs," Professor Lindenmayer said. "It is also about 30 per cent smaller and lives from seven to 10 years, while these two species live up to 17.
"The mountain and short-eared possums also have quite stable, settled territories and, compared to the common brushtail, invest a lot more into rearing their young."
But he said it wasn't until they carried out body measurement and DNA analysis that they were able to prove that the northern and southern animals were different species.
Preventing possum from eating your plants!
If possums are damaging ornamental plants or fruit in your garden, build a floppy fence around the garden. Use 80cm wide, heavily galvanised chicken wire, bury the bottom 20 cm and support the remainder on vertical lengths of flexible, high-tensile fencing wire. Bend the wire to curve the upper section outwards. When the possum attempts to climb the fence it will bend over and then spring back. Use collars to protect fruit trees. Recent tests showed none of 15 repellent compounds effectively prevented possums damaging ornamental trees or fruit.
If you trap the possum, it must be released in your yard. If you were to release the possum in another area, it would have to search and compete with other possums for shelter and food in unfamiliar territory. By providing a possum house, you are encouraging the possum to stay and claim your yard as its territory. The possum will then discourage other possums from moving into your roof and yard. By making friends with a possum, you can help to conserve the species and learn about their way of life at the same time.
If you trap the possum, it must be released in your yard. If you were to release the possum in another area, it would have to search and compete with other possums for shelter and food in unfamiliar territory. By providing a possum house, you are encouraging the possum to stay and claim your yard as its territory. The possum will then discourage other possums from moving into your roof and yard. By making friends with a possum, you can help to conserve the species and learn about their way of life at the same time.
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