Ringtail Possum

mother ringtail possum with one young visible on her back

This morning we created a low slow fire in the bushland on our western boundary. After two wet years it looks as though this summer will be dry again, so we were burning the thick casuarina needle carpet under the trees to reduce fuel load in case of a bushfire. About an hour into the burn a female ringtail possum suddenly emerged from her nest, carrying two well-grown young. She proceeded on an aerial highway from thin little branch to trunk, to thin little branch, and so on until she found shelter in the leafy centre of a small pittosporum tree, a fire retardant species. The young clung to her back the whole time. After we had finished with the burning I went back with the camera, and received her outraged look! Due to her position I could not photograph both young, the other was clinging low on her back amongst the leaves.

you can see the rear-most young possum’s curly tail here on the left, mother is giving me an outraged look!

Here is mother’s long tail hanging low ….

and here is glimpse of the fire that caused the evacuation!

fire-hazard reduction burning