Provide a cozier place for possums with one of our nest boxes.

Brushtail Possums will only survive if they have a safe den. Without one, they are exposed to various daytime threats, including attacks from magpies, crows, dogs, cats, and other animals, as well as the risk of aggressive encounters with other possums when they try to invade already occupied den sites.

How do I keep a possum out of my roof?

Brush-tailed possums like to live in cavities. As these possums are territorial, removing one from a roof will not solve your problem since new possums will soon move into the vacant territory. A relocated possum will not survive in a new territory, so you need to rehouse them nearby, away from your roof, ideally in a tree in your garden.

Even in the middle of Australia's biggest cities, you are likely to find a possum. Ringtail or Brushtail possums are among the most adaptable and versatile of our marsupials and live much of their lives above our heads — many in suburban gardens. At night, they emerge to search for food — through treetops, over rooftops, and along fences and powerlines to avoid being hit by a car or attacked by a dog. However, while possums are usually wary of people, they can make nuisances of themselves by eating flowers and fruit from our gardens, and in the case of the Brushtail Possum, taking up residence in the ceiling space of our homes.

What are the most common species of possums in NSW?

In NSW, the two commonly encountered possum species are the Common Ringtail Possum and the Common Brushtail Possum, both of which are nocturnal.

Brushtail Possums

Brushtail Possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) are commonly seen in urban areas and live along the east coast of Australia, in Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales, Canberra, Tasmania, the southeast corner of South Australia, in central Australia, including the southern Northern Territory, and along the southwest coast of Western Australia.

Brush-tailed possums are about as big as domestic cats and have a pointed snout, pink nose, long whiskers, and large ears. They also have sharp claws, which they use to climb trees and comb their fur.

Brushtails get their name from their thick, dark, bushy tail. They have pointed ears like a cat and are about the size of a big cat.

What do they eat?

Brushtails eat flowers, leaves, fruits, and occasionally meat and small invertebrates. They have strong teeth and often use their front paws to hold their food while eating. The brush-tailed possum is the Australian marsupial most often seen by city dwellers, as it is one of few that thrive in urban areas, as well as a wide range of natural and human-modified environments. Around people's homes, brush-tailed possums are inventive and determined foragers, with a liking for fruit trees, vegetable gardens, and kitchen raids.

A Brushtail Possum is highly territorial and can be noisy when defending its home territory. Male possums have a territory of about 2.8 hectares when living in close proximity to people, and females need about 1.9 hectares. Brushtail Possums mainly breed in autumn or spring but can breed at any time of the year if there is enough food. They usually have one baby, which lives in its mother’s pouch for four to five months and leaves its mother’s home range at six to 18 months old.

Ringtail Possums

Ringtail Possums (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) are less common than Brushtails and a bit smaller in size. They live along the east coast of Australia in Queensland, most of Victoria, New South Wales, Canberra, Tasmania, and Western Australia’s southwest.

The Eastern Ringtail Possum is well known to many Sydney residents and across Eastern Australia. Together with the Common Brushtail Possum, it has adapted well to living in close association with humans and is often seen in suburban gardens at night.

Ringtail Possums get their name from their long, tapering tail, with the last third of it being white. It is prehensile, meaning it can grip like another hand! This possum can grip branches with its tail and even carry nesting material with it.

Ringtails eat mostly leaves, including Eucalyptus leaves, and will sometimes develop a taste for flowers in your garden!

Ringtails are sociable and can have overlapping home territories with other Ringtail Possums. They are not as noisy as Brushtail Possums, though they sometimes make soft, high-pitched twittering calls. Ringtail Possums breed from April to November. Two possum babies usually stay in their mum’s pouch until they’re four months old, after which they ride around on mum’s back for about 11 months.

Almost exclusively tree-dwelling, the Eastern Ringtail Possum lives in forests, woodlands, rainforests, dense scrub, and suburban gardens. During the day, the Eastern Ringtail Possum sleeps in its spherical nest or 'drey' made from grass and shredded bark. It builds the drey in a tree hole, tree fork, or dense vegetation, and several individuals may share one nest.

Habitat

In urban areas, natural predators of possums have largely been replaced by threats such as vehicle accidents and attacks by dogs and cats. Despite these dangers and the habitat destruction caused by urban development, possums remain common in inner-city areas and many suburbs.

Possums live within what’s called a “home range,” where the territories of females and males often overlap. Ringtail Possums can form lasting female/male bonds between breeding seasons. However, possums are generally solitary, and when you see two together, it’s usually a mother and her joey.

Brushtail Possums establish territories using scent and vocalization, helping them avoid close, sometimes aggressive, encounters with neighboring possums. Available dens are typically fully occupied by adult possums, and a possum without a den will not survive. This means that many juvenile possums die when they become independent and cannot find a home range. If a possum is removed from an area, another will soon fill the available den.

Most possums remain virtually invisible and, at worst, engage in minor mischief, like running over your roof at night and stealing fruit from backyard trees. The availability of den sites is a critical factor limiting possum populations. With few mature trees with hollow branches left in suburban areas, Brushtail Possums have adapted by moving into the ceilings of our homes.

Unlike Brushtails, Ringtail Possums build nests, called “dreys,” out of sticks, grass, and bark. They typically build several dreys within their home range, so if one is destroyed, they can move to another. Dreys are usually built two to four meters off the ground in trees. In the north, Ringtails prefer tree hollows and rarely build dreys. Unlike Brushtails, they don’t usually like sheltering in roofs.

References

2024, Possums removal, New South Wales, Government Department of Environment and Heritage

2024, I think I have a possum in my roof. What can I do? Sydney Wildlife

2024, Brush-tailed Possum, New South Wales, Government Department of Environment and Heritage

2023, Eastern Ringtail Possum, Australian Museum

2021, Possum in your roof? Backyard Buddies

Contact Nature Conservation today to request a quote for the production and installation of nest boxes. Providing a safe and cozy den for possums can help protect them and keep them out of your roof. Let us help you support local wildlife with our expert services.