All Comments: Common Ringtail Possum

Hi, I'm in NZ and have a small possum. (my kids found it and are attached... we are going through the permit process at the moment). I think it is a brushtail. Over here, we have a problem with TB in possums. My lil guy has recently lost a bit of fur where he can scratch and also has a very small dark patch on the top of his head where it appears through scratching he has now caused an irritation and has a small dotty red ring around the spot. I am concerned that this may be the first warning signs of TB. However, we also have been giving him milk and now I read that is a bad idea... so it could be that too. I don't want to be endangering my family with having a sick possum and not know it! Any suggestions... (p.s. the vets here will not treat them as they are pests).

Hello,this is urgent! I am looking for professional opinions I am from Belize in Central America, I am hoping someone can help me...this is my situation: My dog killed a possum and she had three babies in her pouch/sac one was still attached with a string to the mother so I could not save it but I save 2 babies who were already crawling out of the mother. My question is: will they survive? What should I feed them? Where should I keep them? they are the size of my thumb...yes very small...do they have a chance of surviving? They seem active and ready to drink milk...I give them warm cow milk, is that ok?

As an Australian native animal carer, here are some corrections. Ringtails should ONLY BE kept in family groups or pairs as they are extremely social. They like more than one nest for the family and the male will sometimes sleep separately but he lives with the group still. They require protein and love insects in the form of small moths and green grasshoppers being their favorites. They only eat the first run of fecal pellets which they pass in their nest usually during the day and eat again straight away. The fecal pellets passed the second time on the ground ARE WASTE. Do not feed them ANYTHING other than native vegetation, leaf tips from some introduced plants and native flowers and some introduced flowers, e.g. plumbago, crepe myrtle and roses are OK. They cannot tolerate lactose, nuts or most fruit for long. An occasional grape or piece of apple or carrot is OK as a treat only but they should't have much of this at all. YOGHURT IS A BIG NO NO - they are lactose intolerant. The diet described on this page is suitable for brushtail possums and some gliders rather than Ringtail Possums, their stomachs are completely different and they require different care. You must forage daily for leaves, flowers and native fruit. Also, in Australia it is illegal to keep these animals without a rehabilitation permit and even then, you can only raise orphans or rehabilitate injured possums and then they must be released back to the wild.

I have a baby possum at my house and I am taking care of it. It is a male and he is the most adorable thing ever.

Hi, hubby and I save a ringtail from the cat a few weeks ago outside our bedroom at about 3:30 in the morning. Poor little thing had lost quite a lot of fur. I didn't think it would live, but to our surprise it's doing well and certainly eating well. I would like to put it back out into the garden once all injuries have healed and fur has regrown, but wonder since its been away from its family for sometime if our back yard would still be its territory. We have made a box and its quite happy sleeping in this each day, but not as yet have put the box out onto the tree out back. He is in the bathroom in the garage at present which is quite spacious. I would say he is about half the adult size you suggested they grow too. Jan

hello my name is gemma , and my cousin and i were getting fish & chips and we found a tail possum on the side of the road. It is only a new-born and its mother and father have died by poisining. we will try and get more info about taking care of it . thankyou gemma.

Being a wildlife carer for years I have found that baby possums do much better when raised with either one other or several others as they are a social critter.

Hello, My name is Emily and I live in Victoria, Australia. About 15 minutes ago I caught a baby ring tail possum that a few of the neighbourhood cats were tormenting. The same thing happened yesterday morning and I believe it to be the same possum. I noticed that the day before yesterday there was an adult possum and a baby possum dead under some powerlines across the road. I think that its a fairly good chance that they are the family of the possum I have because I know it has been in a tree in full sun for around 3 days. It is about the size of the palm of my hand so I know that it is quiet young. I know that they eat fruits and flours and leaves, but I don't know how to tell the sex. I shall keep looking on the internet for more information (the same things seem to be repeated on every website). Thank you ~Emily

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT UNLESS YOU HAVE A WILDLIFE LICENSE TO CARE FOR AND RELEASE POSSUMS (IE. WIRES) IT IS ILLEGAL TO KEEP THEM AS PETS!!!! POSSUMS SHOULD BE RELEASED BACK INTO THE WILD AROUND 6MONTHS AFTER BEING RAISED FROM AN ORPHAN!!! THERE ARE VERY HIGH FINES FOR KEEPING THESE ANIMALS AND YOU SHOULD ALL CONSIDER THIS!!! Editor's note: To find out if an exotic animal is legal to own in your state, this site lists government agencies by state to contact: http://www.juliesjungle.com/laws.php

i really love these lil creatures, especially their long curled tail

Hey Guys, Im jess and im in year 6. i had to do a recount on a ringtail possum. No questions asked .. BEST WEBSITE EVER, hehe. THANX GUYS. GREAT INfo

OMG i live in australia too! i have made them a little house in the top of the trees. they are the best creatures around if I must say so my self, well yes i love them! peace from australia

Hi,my name is Catherine, We live 2 hrs north of Sydney and on an acreage. We made a tree house and placed it in a tree in one of our gardens. The garden has large water vessels, flowers, bottle-brushes planted in a circle. It is fairly cool because of the tree shade and lots of small plants under the tree. Our pair of possums live in the treehouse and are very sociable with us. We give them fruit and vegetables in moderation. They appear to be rearing another family at the moment and are precious to watch. We feel priviledged to share our garden with them. We also have sugar gliders in one of the paddocks who are shy but are curious and will come close. It is a very special responsibilty that we are proud to be involved in!

hi, i live in Australia. I have had lots of pet possums as pets. One possum in particular called Blossum I raised, I had for seven/eight years, who died last year from old age. She was the friendliest possum and would go down your jumper and sleep. I have also raised brush tailed possums and many other ring tailed possums, but have died due to unknown causes. I now have one brush tail and ring tail.

I live in Australia too, we have a box nailed high in a tree to keep the possums out of our roof. They come down every dusk to feed on the little bits of fruit we leave out for them. I believe you need a schedule 1 license to own one, but don't know of anyone personally that has one as a pet. Many wildlife carers end up raising orphans. They really are very beautiful and sweet.

I live in Australia with several ring-tail friends. I wouldn't quite call them pets, and I don't know of anyone who has a ring-tail possum for a pet, though (rarely) some people feed them. They are beautiful animals, and one of mine is friendly. The others are quite nervous around humans. They cannot be relocated into the bush, according to all reports. Apparently they don't survive very long.