General Description

Body fur grey-brown with a dark stripe along the middle of the head and along the back. Black stripe on chin. Underparts white-cream. Pendulous tail, narrow at base. Similar in shape to gliding possums, but lacks gliding membrane. Body up to 17 cm, tail up to 18 cm.

Biology

These possums move quickly through the trees at night, feeding on insects and sap. They use loose bark from the forest trees to make nests in old growth tree hollows. Leadbeater's Possums were thought to have become extinct around 1910 until they were rediscovered in 1961. In 1971 the Leadbeater's Possum was declared as the State Animal Emblem for Victoria as it is the only mammal that occurs only in Victoria, where it is restricted to an area of approximately 70 x 80 km. The species is highly endangered: there may be fewer than 1000 adults left.

Distribution

Isolated populations in central and north-eastern Victoria.

Habitat

Forest with eucalypt and wattle trees.

More Information