Ringtail Possum - Pseudocheirus peregrinus
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. Ringtails live between to 3-6 years in the
wild and up to 8 years in captivity. 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.
Common Brushtail Possum - Trichosurus vulpecula
There are six sup-species of the Brushtail Possum in Australia. T.v. vulpecula in
central and South eastern Australia. T.v. arnhemensis in the tropical northern Northern
Territory and Western Australia. T.v. hypoleucus in south western Western Australia.
T.v. eburacensis on Cape York. T.v. johnstonii central eastern Queensland on Atherton
Tablelands. T.v. fuliginosus in Tasmania. Head and body length 350-550 mm, tail
length 250-400 mm. Weight males 1300-4500g and females 1200-3500g. The Brushtail
possum lives 10-11 years in the wild and 8-12 in captivity, with the oldest known
animal lived to 17 years. You require a Basic License to keep this species in Victoria.
Under current licensing laws sub species are not recognised or required to be listed.
Private keepers in Victoria are keeping T.v. vulpecula. T.v. fuliginosus is recognised
as a sub-species by some keepers, but it is not common in private collections.
Squirrel Glider - Petaurus norfolcensis
The Squirrel Glider has no sub-species. Their range is on the east coast of Australia
from central Cape York peninsula thought to western Victoria, with a small pocket
near Border town, South Australia, this species being more common in the more northern
parts of its range becoming less common to the south. The Squirrel Glider is visually
similar to the Sugar Glider. Head and body length 180-230 mm, tail length 220-300
mm and weight 190- 300g. In the wild life span 4-6 years and 5-8 in captivity. You
require an Advanced License to keep this species in Victoria.
The Squirrel Glider has been know to hybridise with the Sugar Glider. It is recommended
that Sugar Gliders and Squirrel Gliders are not housed together.
Feathertail Glider - Acrobates pygmaeus
The Feather-tail Glider is the worlds smallest gliding mammal. There are no sub-species.
They occur widely along the east coast of Australia into South Australia also occurring
on Fraser Island. Head and body length 65-80 mm, tail length 70-80 mm and weight
10-15g. The Feather-tail Glider lives up to 5 years in the wild and in captivity.
You require an Advanced License to keep this species in Victoria.
Sugar Glider - Petaurus breviceps
The Sugar Glider Petaurus breviceps has seven sub-species. Three occurring in Australia
and the other four in New Guinea. The sub species occurring in Australia are, P.b.
ariel, Northern Territory extending into Western Australia. P.b.longicaudatus, Queensland
and P.b breviceps, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania (introduced in 1830’s). Head
and body length 160-210 mm, tail 160-210 mm. Weight, males 115-160g and females 95-135g.
In the wild their life expectancy is 4-6 years. In captivity 5-8, however they have
been know up to 10 years, the oldest known animal lived to 14 years. You need a Basic
License to keep this species in Victoria.
Under current licensing laws sub species are not recognised or required to be listed.
Individual members of the Marsupial Society do recognise, record and maintain pure
sub-species of the 3 that occur in Australia. P.b breviceps is the most commonly
kept of all the sugar gliders. P.b.longicaudatus this sub species’s purity is questionable
and has been hybridised with P.b breviceps for many years, there are still pure longicaudatus
kept. P.b. ariel is kept in small numbers and has avoided being hybridised and successfully
maintained a pure subspecies.