Common Brushtail
Trichosurus vulpecula
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassMammalia (Mamífers)
- OrderDiprotodontia (Kangaroos, Possums, Wombats, and Allies)
- FamilyPhalangeridae (Cuscuses and Brush-tailed Possums)
- GenusTrichosurus (Brush-tailed Possums)
- SpeciesTrichosurus vulpecula (Common Brushtail)
The common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula, from the Greek for "furry tailed" and the Latin for "little fox", previously in the genus Phalangista) is a nocturnal, semiarboreal marsupial of the family Phalangeridae, native to Australia and invasive in New Zealand, and the second-largest of the Australasian possums. Like most possums, the common brushtail possum is nocturnal. It is mainly a folivore, but has been known to eat small mammals such as rats. In most Australian habitats, eucalyptus leaves are a significant part of the diet, but rarely the sole item eaten. Its tail is prehensile and naked on its lower underside. The four colour variations are silver-grey, brown, black, and gold. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Common Brushtail sighting in Grampians National Park, based on 18 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Grampians National Park
Eastern Grey Kangaroo
Macropus giganteus
Swamp Wallaby
Wallabia bicolor
Red-necked Wallaby
Notamacropus rufogriseus
Western Grey Kangaroo
Macropus fuliginosus
Common Ringtail Possum
Pseudocheirus peregrinus
Inland Sugar Glider
Petaurus notatus
Eastern Pygmy Possum
Cercartetus nanus
Koala
Phascolarctos cinereus
Feather-tailed Glider
Acrobates pygmaeus
📅 Monthly Probability
🌅 When They're Spotted
Most active at dawn and dusk · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Common Brushtail in Grampians National Park?
About 17% of wildlife watchers report a Common Brushtail sighting in Grampians National Park, based on 18 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Common Brushtail in Grampians National Park?
June has the highest sighting rate for Common Brushtail in Grampians National Park in our monthly data.