The coppery brushtail possum (''Trichosurus johnstonii'') is a species of marsupial possum in the family

Phalangeridae The Phalangeridae are a family of mostly nocturnal marsupials native to Australia, New Guinea, and Eastern Indonesia, including the cuscuses, brushtail possums, and their close relatives. Considered a type of possum, most species are arboreal, ...

. Coppery brushtails are found within the Atherton Tablelands area of

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

, 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 400-490 mmm and weigh 1200-1800 g, with males being larger and heavier than females.

Ecology

Like the

common brushtail possum The common brushtail possum (''Trichosurus vulpecula'', from the Greek for "furry tailed" and the Latin for "little fox", previously in the genus ''Phalangista'') is a nocturnal, semiarboreal marsupial of the family Phalangeridae, native to Aus ...

, 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. In feeding experiments, in selecting their food, these possums may tend to select a mix of plant materials with

detoxification Detoxification or detoxication (detox for short) is the physiological or medicinal removal of toxic substances from a living organism, including the human body, which is mainly carried out by the liver. Additionally, it can refer to the period of ...

requirements that are correlated or independent, rather than contradictory, thus maximizing their ability to process harmful plant byproducts. Dominance among individuals tends to place females above males, and larger over smaller individuals.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q209263 Possums Mammals of Queensland Marsupials of Australia Mammals described in 1888 Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN