Ringtail Possum Care

RINGTAIL POSSUM CARESHEET

There are four sub species of common ringtail possum in Australia. P.p. peregrinus, Cape York to Kangaroo Island. P. p. cooki, coast scrubs of South eastern mainland. P.p. convolutor, Tasmania and Bass Strait Islands. P.p. pulcher South eastern Queensland and Northern eastern NSW rainforest.

SIZE : Head and body length 300-350mm, tail length 300-350mm and weight 700-900g.

LIFESPAN: between to 3-6 years in the wild and up to 8 years in captivity.

LICENSE? You require a Basic License to keep this species in Victoria.

 For those keeping this species in Victoria is is highly likely they are keeping Pseudocheirus peregrinus convolutor.  The Common ringtail possum is a species known to many on the East Coast of Australia, mainly for eating roses or newly planted gardens.  Not many people realise how delightful this species can be in a captive environment.  Compared to the more popular Sugar Glider  - many keepers find Ringtail possum the “easier” of the two species.

BEHAVIOUR

ACTIVITY

Ringtail possums are nocturnal and have very good night vision, they also have a very good sense of hearing and smell, and they use these to recognise each other, as well as possums from other family groups and to be alerted to possible threats. Ringtails are very social, curious and playful. Ringtails spend the night feeding, exploring and playing, as well as looking after the young in their group. The normal behaviour of a Ringtail Possum is to climb with their tail curled up behind them or used to help balance. They are curious and will check on anything newly added to their home area or aviary. When startled or scared they will freeze and even sometime play 'possum' and then dart off quickly when the chance arrives. Other species of possum and glider do not seem to bother them at all. They will seek out fellow Ringtail Possums as they thrive on social interaction with their own kind.

SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

Ringtail Possums are very social and live in family groups. (Henderson n.d.) They don't vocalise often, using scent to communicate. Family groups can be up to 10 possums with usually only one adult male and female being the main pair. Juveniles and joeys make up the rest of the family. Ringtails socialise by playing and can often be seen climbing in the trees in small groups, with the younger possums jumping around the adult.

​Ringtail possums are best housed in pairs - usually female and female or female and male.  Animals to be introduced together should be introduced into a new enclosure. Most of the time this is not a practical option, wash and clean the enclosure you have and replace all furnishings, replacing nest boxes would also be ideal.  

HOUSING

Aviary should measure around 2.8m long, 2.8m wide and 3m high with 2mx2m extra floor space for each additional animal. (Jackson 2003)

AVIARY FURNISHINGS

The aviary should be furnished with lots of native leaves and flowers. Their main diet is Eucalyptus so at least three different kinds of Eucalyptus leaves should always be available and Eucalypt flowers where possible. Their aviary should have lots of climbing branches allowing maximum use of the space. Using fresh branches with leaves will also provide food, cover and behavioural enrichment through smell. Leaf litter should completely cover the bottom. They love Lilly Pilly berries as well as the fresh leaf tips. They prefer red Grevillea flowers over yellow. They will also eat; Wattle, Banksia, most varieties of Callistemon. Most of the cage should be filled with Eucalypt with flowers and berries given in small amounts as extras. Branches should be put into holders, secured in various spots around the aviary that contains water so that they stay fresh. Lots of leaves and branches and even logs should be place around the cage so the Possums can explore easily. You need to keep an eye on what they do and don’t eat, they will pick their favourites so make sure there is plenty of what they like available. Food should be hung around the cage, encouraging the possums to climb and jump in order to reach them.

FEEDING

Ringtail Possums are folivores and as such are hindgut fermenters, meaning that they ferment the leaves in their caecum. In the caecum are specialised bacteria that make the leaves they eat easier to digest. Ringtails also practise coprophagia. During the day they produce caecal pellets, these are soft and contain undigested nutrients. The possum will eat these in order to re-digest the matter and get as much nutrients out of the leaves they have eaten as possible.

DIET IN THE WILD

 Ringtail possums are folivores and their main diet is Eucalyptus leaves. However they do supplement their diet with more easily digested foods such as blossoms, flowers and fruit. To maximise digestion Ringtail Possums practise coprophagia. Where they re-ingest soft faeces of high nutritional value in order to gain access to nutrients that would otherwise be lost. This is usually done during the day; they will curl up into a ball in their drey, with their head near their cloaca to make eating the soft faeces easy. They also eat Lilly Pilly and Callistemon leaves. With all leaves they prefer the fresh tips that are usually a lighter green or even reddish in colour. They also eat native flowers such as; Grevillea, Wattle, Banksia, Callistemon and Eucalypt. Where they can find native fruits they also enjoy them, their favourite being Lilly Pilly berries.

DIET IN CAPTIVITY

A captive diet for Ringtail Possums should mainly consist of their native foods, which should be supplied fresh daily. This will keep them as healthy as possible. It is very important to provide a natural diet as Ringtails practise coprophagy in order to obtain additional nutrition. Fruits such as apple, banana, grapes or pear can be used for enrichment or training as the possums really love these sweet treats and they should only be given occasionally. Fruits should be cut into small pieces and not offered as a whole. Be very careful to not give too much fruit, as the high sugar content can cause problems.

HEALTH

 As with any species good husbandry practices, clean enclosures, properly fed animals and enclosures not being over crowded, prevent the majority of disease and health issues.  The basics to look for in Ringtails is ectoparasites (fleas, mites) endoparasites (worms).  Protozoans (toxoplasmosis