Brushtail possum, <i>Trichosurus vulpecula</i> , populations in south-western Australia: demography, diet and conservation status

Abstract

The common brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula , has suffered a marked reduction in its geographic range from the arid areas of Western Australia and now is abundant only in the more mesic forests and woodlands of the south-west. A mark–recapture and dietary study of a population in the tuart/peppermint forests near Busselton found that the species occurred at a density of 2–3 individuals per hectare, fed principally on peppermint, Agonis flexuosa , but occurred in all treed habitats in the area, including Pinus radiata plantations. Females matured in their third year and produced a single young annually between April and September that was weaned about seven months later. Comparisons between the demographic parameters of this population and that of a study from semiarid south-western Australia showed marked differences, which were comparable to variation shown by population studies of T. vulpecula in eastern Australia and New Zealand. Predation and habitat alteration have probably had a marked effect on determining the present distribution and abundance of the species in south-western Australia.