Leadbeater's Possum

Apperance
The leadbeater's possum has a prominent dark dorsal stripe running the length of its back and it has a soft grey-brown fur. The fur underneath is of a lighter creamish brown. It has small wide ears like most possums and a short more round face. The leadbeater's possum has a distinguished bushy tail  which is broader and black at the tip.

Weight
Leadbeater's possum weighs 120-160g.

Length
The length of the leadbeater possum ranges between 150-170 millimetres with a long tail of 172 millimetres.

Habitat
Moist tall open forest dominated by montane ash containing large living or dead mountain ash with hollows in which to nest and an understory containing silver or mountain hickory wattle acacia which supplies gum. Individual females occupy nests in large hollow mountain ash trees and actively defend a surrounding 1 - 3 hectare exclusive territory from other females.

Eating and Diet Habits
The Leadbeater's possum's has a diet mainly of insects, supplemented by plant exudates and sweet secretions produced by sap-sucking insects.

Predators
Like most possums and small marsupials they have predators of eagles, dingo's, foxes and feral cats.

Breeding Habits
 The Leadbeater's possum's society is based on a matriarchal mating system where individual females occupy nests in large hollow mountain ash trees and actively defend a surrounding 1 - 3 hectare exclusive territory from other females. Mating is strictly monogamous and male partners assist females in defense of territories. Additional adult males, as well as one or more generations of offspring, may be tolerated in family groups by the breeding pairs. However, additional adult females are not tolerated. Leadbeater's possum breed in all months except January and February. The litters are of 1 to 2 young at a time. The young are weaned at about 3 months and sent out on their own when they are 10 months for females and 15 months for males.

Locations
Until recently, it was regarded as extinct, after disastrous fires throughout its range in 1939. However in 1961 a small colony was rediscovered in the Cumberland Valley area near Marysville, Victoria. The leadbeaters remaining locations are by 1993 suitable habitat probably only comprised about 110 sq km of old-growth montane ash forest in the central highlands of Victoria.
                                           

Numbers
The leadbeaters remaining numbers are believed to be around 5000.

Problems

• The mountain ash where they live is a tree that is destined to be completely logged.
• They require mature trees that provide both nesting holes and significant numbers of insects.
• Climate and flora changes since the Pleistocene led to competition with the glider nd the glider appears to have been more successful than Leadbeater's possum.
• decline of suitable hollow-bearing trees due to fire, logging and natural attributes.

Solutions

• Victoria now has a Flora and Fauna Gaurantee Act in place to save these threatened species.
• inform people about the Leadbeater's possums.
• encourage habitat retention and restoration.
• ongoing habitat management.
• captive breeding of Leadbeater possum and establishing new colonies.
• support your local environment groups.
• raise money for the rehabilitation of sites for Leabeater's possum.
• learn more about endangered animals, particularly those native to your area.
• be a responsible pet owner so they do not impact on Leadbeater's possum or other wildlife.
• help in the eradication of foxes, cats and rabbits.
• protect remnant native vegetation under Heritage Agreement and by excluding stock .
• revegetate cleared land with indigenous plants.