Leadbeater’s Possum

SPECIES Leadbeater’s Possum
TAXONOMY Gymnobelideus leadbeateri
STATUS Critically Endangered (RedList.org); Critically Endangered (ala.org.au); Protected under Australian Law

aka Fairy Possum

Commonly referred to as the Fairy Possum, the Leadbeater’s Possum is a small, speedy, and critically endangered arboreal marsupial living amongst the old growth Mountain Ash forests just east of Melbourne. An ancient species, it became Victoria’s State faunal emblem in 1971 which has brought attention to the many challenges that this species continues to incur.

The Leadbeater’s Possum is distributed across the Central Highland forest of Victoria. They live in colonies occupying some of the tallest forests in Australia. They are nocturnal and rarely sighted in the wild. Habitat requirements include hollow-bearing trees for nesting as well as wattle trees and acacia shrubs in the forest understorey. They are known to fiercely defend their territory surrounding the nest (1.5 to 3 hectares) from other groups of their own species. At night, they forage for tree sap and a variety of insects. They can survive up to five years in the wild, and up to 13 years in captivity.

Appearance
They live up to their name by measuring up to 170 mm in body length, and a further 165 mm in tail length. They weigh between 100 and 165 grams. The tail is narrow at the base and extends into a broader shape towards the tip. They have a soft coat of grey fur with a cream coloured underbody and cheeks. They have a dark brown stripe across the cheek which extends along the upper body from the head to the tail. They have large, rounded ears of a thin texture.

Reproduction
Living in female dominated colonies of up to 12 individuals, members include one or more generations of offspring and some related males. Typically, there is only one breeding pair in each season and litters occur twice each year  in the spring/summer and autumn/winter. Each litter consists of two joeys, with a subsequent litter occurring if they do not survive. 

As marsupials, Leadbeater’s Possum joeys remain in the mother’s pouch for approximately 12 to 13 weeks and are then weaned at four months. When females reach 10 to 12 months, they must disperse to other territories following their eviction from the colony.  

Threats
In 1921, the species was declared extinct as none had been sighted since 1909. In 1961 an individual possum was captured near Cambarville Victoria and at the same time, a colony was found near Marysville. In 2015, the possum was classified as critically endangered leading from several factors including loss of habitat caused by land clearing, logging operations, and wildfires. During the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009, as high as 50% of their old growth habitat was lost. The colonies seek the hollows of old growth trees to build their nests which can take up to 150 years to develop. The fires devastated their natural habitat and led to smaller and more fragmented populations. This classification means that this species is now viewed as being under our nation’s highest level of protection in regards to environmental law. Efforts being made to repopulate the species include studies in wild populations and captive breeding programs. 

Updated 5 May 2021