Sometimes, in the middle of the night, it sounds like a horse is galloping across my tin roof. But having lived in Brisbane for a few years now, I know it is probably only a couple of brushtail possums.
This one came onto my back verandah last night in search of something to eat.
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD is a critical thinker with expertise in the scientific method.
Yummmm, Hello breakfast.
“Bushtail” Jennifer?
I thought it was brushtail.
That’s the rarer Moreton Bushtail possum Rog not to be confused with the southern Brushtail. Note the bushiness of the tail.
Thanks Rog. Was thinking Brushtail… and writing Bushtail. I need an editor. Error corrected.
Luke, perhaps you could send us in a picture of a Moreton Bushtail possum?
They’re very rare Jen – yours is the best example of seen in recent times 🙂
Dear Jen
I think Luke is trying to be funny…again.
Your photo is of a Common Brushtail possum(Trichosurus vulpecula).
Blair
Blair, Yes, And I’ve tried to be funny too … asking for the pic of the Moreton Bushtail 🙂
The garden watering prescriptions under Beattie’s water crisis are likely to have resulted in the decimation of urban possum populations.
Both ringtails and Brushtails are known to vary their diet with a bit of pampered, highly nutritious, lawn. And one doesn’t see much of that about these days. Their main urban diet is the flowers, buds and leaves of garden trees which are also doing it tough.
And as the surrounding native vegetation is in even worse condition, there is no-where for them to go. So they are losing weight, getting weaker and more susceptible to illness and taking greater risks to get food which, makes them easier prey for cats and dogs. My Kelpie scored one a few months ago and it was all over before we even got outside to see what the fuss was about.
Thats just one more thing to thank Rudd, Swann, Goss and Beattie for.
Ian
Noting your comment “Thats just one more thing to thank Rudd, Swann, Goss and Beattie for”, I presume you are referring to the not so well publicised fact that with Rudd being the chief of staff to Goss and then appointed to head the Premiers Department, Rudd must share significant responsibility (or am I playing the “blame game”?) for making the decision not to invest in water infrastructure that SE Qld now so desperately needs?
A possum story.
While staying an old bungalow on the Darling river it was my habit to light an old woodstove first light in the morning.
I sometimes had coffee leftover in the pot from the day before.
Never as nice as fresh coffee, but being economical
I allow it to reheat for breakfast.
Being old the chimney was straight up and down, you could see the sky if one leaned far enough.
On drinking the coffee I came on a few round lumps, curious I chewed some. A neat ball of fibrous eucalyptus was discovered.
It was early remember.
fluff
Doug – forget not the NIMBY syndrome – that dam was as unwanted as the current proposed dams. And Goss eventually lost government toughing it out with NIMBYs on the ill-fated Koala Highway.
Ian I thought you would have reminded us that in previous big droughts – possy-posses would have karked it anyway. And suburbia has greatly inflated their numbers with abdundant food trees hitherto all nicely watered and kept green.
Besides they widdle on you and scratch. Try feeding one some apple as an act of kindness. They grab your hand, dig the claws in, and if you pull away you’re gonna get worse. Then they sit in trees and hiss at you.
Sort of like debating with Ian actually. Same effect.
I have an old (1914) cottage at Bridgetown, in the south-west. Possums have long lived in the roof, and, like Jen, I am woken by cantering across the roof, and a particularly loud bang (about 4 am usually) as one jumps from a nearby tree onto the roof. I once left the stove door open, and two of them got into the house and caused havoc, poo everywhere, and curtains pulled down. I installed an extractor fan in the kitchen, but within a day they had neatly blocked it with roof insulation. I fixed it, and they blocked it again. I feed them apples, which they take very gently. Obviously Luke is a pseudo-greeny, with no affinity with wildlife. Ian, do you have a recipe for possum casserole?
Dear Luke
Are these possums who are likely to hiss on Ian the common brushtail possum(Trichosurus vulpecula) or another species Kennus Obnoxious Indooroopillus?
Blair
Spot on, Doug. “The evil that men do lives after them, the good is oft interred with their bones. So let it be with Caesar.”
It is a classic example of how any sort of clown can stop something, but it takes a special person to make something happen.
The difference this time, Luke, is that in the past the urban possum population was able to survive the dry season. It is normal in drought for up to 90% of a population to die off in a few months but that has never been the case with urban populations.
And these urban populations have maintained a number of threatened species, like Ninox (Powerful Owl) through situations that would otherwise have seen them fall victim to drought as well. It is about this stage of the cycle that starving owls start taking domestic moggies.
They also roam further in search of food and pass the critical threshholds for energy expenditure vs energy obtained.
Ian wrote:
>”The evil that men do lives after them, the good is oft interred with their bones. So let it be with Caesar.”
Ian also wrote:
>for every dude with a pithy quote there are a thousand morons trying to apply it to the wrong situation.
>It is normal in drought for up to 90% of a population to die off in a few months but that has never been the case with urban populations.
Do you have a study to point us to that shows this Ian? I know someone who has been comparing urban possum populations and she would be very interested in this.
Travis,
There is a well known paper on this. Everidge, E. (2004) Urban possum mortality due to global warming. J.International Transvestism.
Travis, if you mean the mortality of normal non-urban possums in drought there is Sharp et al with a study on gliders in Bungawalbyn SF NSW (2000).
If you mean urban possums I don’t know of any studies in progress. So you will just have to quote (pers comm I Mott). Tim low, in “the New Nature” has good material on urban populations.
Interesting journal there Davey. Do you subscribe?
>if you mean the mortality of normal non-urban possums in drought there is Sharp et al with a study on gliders in Bungawalbyn SF NSW (2000).
Ian I thought you were talking about brushtail possums. Different from gliders, which are rarely urban. You wrote:
>but that has never been the case with urban populations
This is a pretty definitive statement. I trust you have the same scientific integrity you demand of others(well, only those you don’t agree with). Seems you don’t.
Watch it Travis, or I’ll hit you with my handbag.
Gosh, Travis has actually remained on topic for three posts. If you had even a rudimentary grasp of the food sources of both possums and gliders, and the climatic inputs that drive the supply of both, you would not be moronically splitting hairs on whether a study dealt with gliders or possums.
And your statement about there being no urban gliders takes the cake for ignorance. Any small patch of native bush in an urban landscape has the potential to support a glider clan. The possums are more numerous because they are generally larger, more visible, and utilise a wider range of food sources.
And unlike you, most people do not need a formal published paper to understand that a city that has never been on level 5 water restrictions before is highly unlikely to have experienced a similar drop in possum populations that owe their existence to the water and nutrient surpluses normally found in urban gardens.
If you have some evidence to the contrary then present it. Otherwise, pursue your pathetic little personal vendettas somewhere else.
>If you have some evidence to the contrary then present it. Otherwise, pursue your pathetic little personal vendettas somewhere else.
To use one of George’s oft-used sayings pot.kettle.black.
>If you had even a rudimentary grasp of the food sources of both possums and gliders, and the climatic inputs that drive the supply of both, you would not be moronically splitting hairs on whether a study dealt with gliders or possums.
So all gliders and possums consume the same food stuffs and have the same habitat requirements? That’s an interesting claim. If you had any rudimentary grasp of possums and gliders Ian, you would not be making such statements. However it suits your argument and ego to do so.
Ian wrote:
>And your statement about there being no urban gliders takes the cake for ignorance.
Whereas Travis had written:
> Different from gliders, which are rarely urban.
Nice try and a typical pathetic tactic.
You made a statement. That statement was:
> It is normal in drought for up to 90% of a population to die off in a few months but that has never been the case with urban populations.
What I am doing is requesting that you support this claim of ‘never being the case for urban populations’ with evidence. It is only fair, as you would do the same for anyone else you have a vendetta against.
As for stayng on topic?
Pot. kettle.black (George TM)
More boorish spin from Travis.
The common elements of possum and glider habitat are rainfall frequency, soil moisture, leaf and bud moisture content and their related nitrogen content, sap production etc. These impact on the requirements of all arboreal mammals within the same time frames and at the same intensities.
These impacts have always been less severe in urban landscapes because of additional runoff from paved areas onto vegetated areas and from watering of lawns etc that have always maintained these key elements of habitat quality in a way that has avoided the extremes found in more natural landscapes.
Until now.
If you have some evidence to the contrary then present it.
>The common elements of possum and glider habitat are rainfall frequency, soil moisture, leaf and bud moisture content and their related nitrogen content, sap production etc. These impact on the requirements of all arboreal mammals within the same time frames and at the same intensities.
Simplistic as always Ian. Evasive as always Ian. Ignorant as always Ian. Why you don’t stick to commenting about things you actually know something about is beyond me. Then we’d never hear from you at all.
Continual ad homs Travis. Either get specific or get off the blog.
For the 3rd time, If you have some evidence to the contrary then present it.
When you have managed to present you evidence, from actual studies, I will present mine.
>Either get specific or get off the blog.
You are not (unbelievable I know) in charge of this blog Ian. Go and tell someone else what to do.
does mean we say sorry to the Possums or kevin rudd will say sorry to the possums?
come on someone say sorry to little fellas
does mean we say sorry to the Possums or kevin rudd will say sorry to the possums?
come on someone say sorry to the little fellas
Hey guys, lighten up. Have had two brushtail possums on my property (hand fed and spoiled) for two years. There isn’t much these little critters won’t eat! They have never piddled on me, never scratched me and never attempted to jump on to my roof and irritate the hell out of me – in fact, I am so fond of them now, am installing their own house to prevent the new dogs in the neighbourhood from scaring the hell out of them. You should all come to Canberra where we have “Possum Magic”
I liked Patsy’s post. I too have a pet brushtail possum. I feed her every night mostly fruit, bread and rice for the past 4 months. She lets me pat her and she is in no way agressive. She either has never been on the roof of my house always stays in her tree. Only yesterday I went out to feed her and to my surprise she had a little baby on her back. It was so adorable. Now I know why she has been eating so much food.