About Pseudocheirus peregrinus occidentalis (Thomas, 1888)
The common ringtail possum, Pseudocheirus peregrinus occidentalis, reaches an adult weight of 550 to 1,100 grams (19 to 39 ounces), with a body length of 30 to 35 centimeters (12 to 14 inches). This body length does not include the tail, which grows to roughly the same length as the body. It has grey or black fur, with white patches located behind the eyes, and usually a cream-coloured belly. It has a long prehensile tail that typically has a distinctive white tip that makes up more than 25% of the tail’s total length. Its back feet are syndactyl, a trait that aids climbing. The molars of the common ringtail possum have sharp, pointed cusps. The common ringtail possum is distributed along Australia’s east coast, in Tasmania, and in a portion of southwestern Australia. It generally inhabits temperate and tropical environments, and is rare in drier regions. It prefers dense brush forests, particularly eucalyptus forests. The common ringtail possum and its close relatives fill a range of ecological niches similar to those held by lemurs, monkeys, squirrels, and bushbabies in comparable forests on other continents. It is less abundant and less widespread than the common brushtail possum. As a marsupial, the common ringtail possum carries its developing young in a pouch. Mating season can occur anywhere between April and December depending on the region, with the majority of young born between May and July. The oestrous cycle of the common ringtail possum lasts 28 days, and the species is both polyoestrous and polyovular. If a female loses her litter prematurely, she can return to oestrous and produce a replacement second litter in October if conditions are suitable. The average litter size is two young, though triplets occur very occasionally. Common ringtail possum young grow relatively slowly because their mother’s milk is dilute and low in lipids. Like in other marsupials, the composition of the common ringtail possum’s milk changes throughout lactation. During the second phase of lactation, after the young first emerges from the pouch, the young eat more solid foods. During this period, carbohydrate concentration in the milk falls, while protein and lipid concentrations reach their highest levels. The long lactation period of common ringtail possums gives young more time to learn skills in the communal nest, as well as practice climbing and foraging in the trees. Young common ringtail possums first gain the ability to vocalise and open their eyes between 90 and 106 days after birth. They leave their mother’s pouch between 120 and 130 days of age. Lactation typically continues until 180 to 220 days after birth, though it sometimes ends as early as 145 days after birth. Both sexes reach sexual maturity during the first mating season after their birth.
