Coppery brushtail possum
{{Short description|Species of marsupial}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Coppery brushtail possum
| image = Coppery Brushtail Possum (3625102158).jpg
| image_alt =
| image_caption =
| status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1
| genus = Trichosurus
| species = johnstonii
| authority = (Ramsay, 1888)
}}
File:Coppery Brush-tailed Possum.jpg
File:Coppery Brush-tailed Possum 08062023-21.jpg
The coppery brushtail possum (Trichosurus johnstonii) is a species of marsupial possum in the family Phalangeridae.{{MSW3 Diprotodontia | id = 11000088 | page = 50 }} Coppery brushtails are found within the Atherton Tablelands area of Queensland, in northeastern Australia. These mammals inhabit rainforest ecosystems, living within the tree canopy. Though they have a restricted distribution, they are locally common. This population is often considered a subspecies of T. vulpecula.
Description
Coppery brushtail possums have a typical length of {{Convert|40-49|cm|abbr=on}} and weigh {{Convert|1.2-1.8|kg|abbr=on}}, with males being larger and heavier than females.{{cite thesis|last=Kerr|first=Sarah Emily|year=2011|title=Divergence of a mammal along a habitat gradient: a study of the coppery brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula johnsonii|publisher=James Cook University|type=PhD Thesis|url=http://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/23451/}}{{cite web|last=Meyer|first=T.|year=2012|title=Trichosurus johnstonii|publisher=Animal Diversity Web|access-date=29 January 2015|url=http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Trichosurus_johnstonii}}
Ecology
Like the common brushtail possum, coppery brushtails are nocturnal, and live in dens, which are usually tree hollows. At night, they still spend half of their time resting to conserve energy, and the other half in foraging.{{cite book|last=Vandenbeld|first=John|year=1998|title=Nature of Australia: a portrait of the island continent|publisher=BBC Books|location=London}} In feeding experiments, in selecting their food, these possums may tend to select a mix of plant materials with detoxification requirements that are correlated or independent, rather than contradictory, thus maximizing their ability to process harmful plant byproducts.{{cite journal|last1=Marsh|first1=Karen J|last2=Wallis|first2=Ian R|last3=McLean|first3=Stuart|last4=Sorenson|first4=Jennifer S|last5=Foley|first5=William J|title=Conflicting Demands on Detoxification Pathways Influence How Common Brushtail Possums Choose Their Diets|journal=Ecology|volume=87|issue=8|pages=2103–2112|year=2006|jstor=20069195|doi=10.1890/0012-9658(2006)87[2103:cdodpi]2.0.co;2|pmid=16937649}}
Dominance among individuals tends to place females above males, and larger over smaller individuals.{{cite journal|last1=Blackie|first1=Helen M|last2=Russel|first2=James C|last3=Clout|first3=Mick N|year=2011|title=Maternal influence on philopatry and space use by juvenile brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula)|journal=Journal of Animal Ecology|volume=80 |issue=2|pages=477–483|doi=10.1111/j.1365-2656.2010.01781.x|pmid=21155769|doi-access=free}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Diprotodontia|P.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q209263}}
Category:Mammals of Queensland
Category:Marsupials of Australia
Category:Mammals described in 1888