The short-eared possum (''Trichosurus caninus'') is a species of

marsupial Marsupials are a diverse group of mammals belonging to the infraclass Marsupialia. They are natively found in Australasia, Wallacea, and the Americas. One of marsupials' unique features is their reproductive strategy: the young are born in a r ...

in the family Phalangeridae,

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. Found north of

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

, on Australia’s eastern coast, the species was once classed under the mountain brushtail possum, its closest relative. In the wild, they can live for up to 17 years (possibly longer in captivity), maintain a stable territory, and invest significant energy and time rearing their young. Short-eared possums are most commonly found along the southeastern coast of the Australian continent, where they reside in wet rainforests and humid, dense thickets.

References

Possums Mammals of New South Wales Mammals of Queensland Mammals of Victoria (state) Marsupials of Australia Mammals described in 1836 Taxa named by William Ogilby Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Diprotodont-stub