Today I was distracted by the very noisy locals screeching and chirping in the tree on the next block to my house across the creek from ours. I knew there was something intense going on and couldn't find anything up high so I went a little closer and discovered all the action was down low at the bottom of the tree. This absolutely gorgeous and cute little fellow had fallen or been plucked from the canopy and was struggling to make his way back again.
Apologies for the not so clear photographs .... seems to be my thing lately!
Apart from this Pied Butcher Bird there were several Magpies waiting above for him too, I felt so sorry for him. All I could do was throw stuff at them while he made his way up and then the guy at the house overlooking this tree got the hose and hosed them off.
I went to my best mammal book to identify this little guy but I am not any wiser. Is it a common riNgtail possum? Ours have a white patch behind the ear and the tail tip is white or cream. But I can't find anything else that he looks like. Cute as ...
Yes that is right. Tonight I took a spotlight out when I heard crashing in the garden and I found Mum. Hope he found her too!!!
Mmmmm.....yum Umbrella tree salad!!
Sunshine Coast Queensland
The common Ring-tail Possum. There is a grey Queensland Ringtail, and Rufous Ringtail. Colour is variable, silver-grey, smoky-grey, dark grey-brown, more typically light grey or , as seen in your photo, rich red on back and sides. BTW, count the feet in the photo, baby sits in the pouch, I think. Good luck to mum and baby!
M-L
I noticed one of these guys in our neighbour's tree the other day when a large number of noisy miners were making a racket outside. It was a fully grown ringtail, but wasn't getting too much daytime sleep.
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I would have thought a possum might be too much for noisy miners, but I guess not. I doubt they'd be harassing a brushtail though...
Cheers
Tim
Brisbane
Araminta I have counted the feet on the originals many times, and the pouch doesn't seem to have anything in even under magnification but maybe he was deep inside? It is just a skin sac that I can see, no feet though. :(
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Hi birdie, the vet nurse and the vet had a close look at the "salad eating possum", all agree, next to the left hindleg, is the baby visibly sticking out of the pouch.
M-L
what a cute bunch of little possums.
i found it amusing how the neighbour had to hose the birds off! LOL
Cheers, Owen.
Timmo, I have seen a bunch of noisy miners harass the hell out of a full sized ringtail at the top one of the palms, and they get all their mates to join in. the same crowd that was here...PBB, maggies etc
I was surprised to find this lovely fellow in the midst of the frey albeit that he was hiding at the base of the tree and not being aggressive!
Araminta I do a close up crop and post it but I have checked out each of my shots and cannot see the baby. Maybe they have Xray vision??? LOL
Sunshine Coast Queensland