issue 5a wildlife rescue magazine

PART A – THIS ISSUE

Brushtail PossumsFEATURE!PART B – COMING SOON

Ringtail PossumsFEATURE!

Striped Possum joey. Photo by Hannah Marco CLICK HERE

ContentsCLICK HERE

Contact uswww.wildliferescuemagazine.com

www.wildliferescuemagazine.comSeptember 2012 v1n5 Part A

http://www.wildliferescuemagazine.com


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t and meat For insec

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additional supplementation.es a This mak

meat or fish. Moisten as nece R ortivInsec

eed as a supplement mix 2 teaspoons (10g) of o f e TTo f

pplementation.o ed diet with no need f o balanc

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• Lorikeet & Honeyeater Food for nectivorous species (eg gliders, pygmy possums) made up as a liquid nectar.


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Bonorong Wildlife SanctuaryTASMANIA

Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary’s passion and work centres around helping our native wildlife survive. We thrive on educating as many people as possible about how we can all help save, rehabilitate andrelease injured animals. All of Bonorong’s ‘residents’ undergo meticulous assessments to ensure they

are healthy and happy in our care.

Are you passionate about wildlife?

Would you like to become a wildlife rescuer?Central to our work is Bonorong’s volunteer FOC Wildlife Program.

(Friends of Carers, Friends of Critters, Free of Charge.) This is Tasmania’s first community run wildlife assistance service,

designed to help our devoted volunteer carers and the many nativeanimals in need. We are always looking for new volunteers to help

nurse our wildlife back to health.Once trained for Bonorong’s FOC program, participants can registerto become part of Bonorong’s rescue team, spread across Hobart

and beyond so that when Bonorong receives a call about an injuredcreature on its wildlife hotline can look through the database of

rescuers and find the closest person to the incident. Being a rescuer is very non-invasive. When an animal is reported

orphaned or injured a group text is sent to all the volunteers in thatarea and people can choose to do the rescue or ignore it

if they are busy. From that point animals are either taken to a vet or cared for by the

rescuer for less than 24 hours, while Greg arranges for their transportto Bonorong where they are assigned to another group of local

heroes, the wildlife carers! Find out more at

www.bonorong.com.au/foc_program.html

Come and experience theultimate Tasmanian wildlife

evening!The ULTIMATE experience for any wildlife lover who

thrives on the up close and personal experience!This two and a half hour fully guided feeding tour of thepark has been a massive success this year and has

received the most incredible feedback. You will be insidethe enclosures with animals such astawny frogmouths, golden possum,wombats, bettongs, sugar gliders and

many more. Hand feed a Tasmanian devil!Most of our animals inTasmania are

nocturnal or awakeat dusk and dawn. We time

your exclusive tour to catch perfectviewing of all the animals. All across thepark animals emerge from their daytime

slumber and reclaim the night.Find out more at

www.bonorong.com.au/night_tours.html

http://www.bonorong.com.au/foc_program.html

http://www.bonorong.com.au/night_tours.html

Wildlife Rescue Magazine www.wildliferescuemagazine.com September 2012 v1n5 Part A

Trowunna Wildlife Park

Trowunna has been conserving and rehabilitating native Tasmanian wildlife since 1979 and we have successfully rehabilitatedcountless orphaned native wildlife such as wombats, Tasmanian devils, quolls and a variety of birds to name a few.

Trowunna has been operating successful breeding programs, specifically Tasmanian Devils and quolls for over the past 25 years. Trowunna’s Devil population is of highest priority due to the breeding success since 1985 and is recognised as one of the longest

continuous breeding programs of any species in the world under studbook conditions.

1892 Mole Creek Road, Mole Creek, Tasmania 7304 Telephone: +61 3 6363 6162 Fax: +61 3 6367 6213 E-mail: [email protected]



Publisher’s wordsAndrea Devos

Issue Five is outwith an explosionof cute pics and

important training.

The magazinehas become solarge that we

have had to break it upinto Part A and Part B.

Here is Part A with a couple oflovely stories from readers. The DIY Guyis at it again with a simple DO ITYOURSELF - A TemperatureControlled Heat Box.

We did a snake handling course herein Tasmania and decided to do a write upabout it for you to enjoy and our FeatureArticle for Part A is the Rescue,Rehabilitation and Release of theBrushtail Possums.

Part B will continue the promisedsoft release of the wombat. We have 3more interesting stories from readers.The 2nd article of the 3 part series on

‘Motion Activated Infrared Cameras’. Wehave a Photo Essay on Tasmania’sZoodoo and our 2nd Feature Article is onRescue, Rehabilitation and Release of theRingtail Possum.

We know you are going to love thisissue and its following Part B section.

We would like to give special thanksto the two authors who donated books tothis issue of the magazine - Kevin Bakerauthor of Puggle in a Pocket and JillMorris along with Greater GliderProductions who donated the bookKookaburra School.

We also want to thank Sonya Stanvicfor her amazing Possum Publicationwhich the information in this magazine isbased on. You can find her full e-guide onour website as a free download. We alsowant to thank all our supporters both inphotos which were all generously donatedand the stories from readers.

We are still receiving lovelytestimonials from our readers, even from

overseas, here is what they are saying: I just found your website by accident

while doing a ‘virginia opossum researchproject’ regarding the use of the Australianformula Biolac for our neonates here - 20-45grams. I was totally speechless at the amountof information and SO excited to be able toconnect with experienced caregivers. Whereelse to go for marsupial expertise thanAustralia. I am a total fan of your absolutelyawesome magazine. Carry on! Hope to beable to chat with you on some specific issuesdown the road. Peggy DiMauro

Thank you so much for such anincredibly informative and entertainingmagazine which, without any doubt, willopen up people’s hearts and minds and alsoshow the magic that some of us are privilegedto see and experience. Wonderful Publication.Denise Garratt. Help for Wildlife Inc.VIC

Well done Andrea ,what a great mag,love it, a very good read indeed. Roz Holme- Cedar Creek Wombat Rescue

Puggle in a PocketKevin Baker

The author of Puggle in a Pocket is Kevin Baker... Author of another exciting book - Wombat in the House. Puggle in a Pocket is 'TRUE STORY' about Ami – a puggle just 5 or 6 weeks old, she was lost from her mother, and was dug

up by a dog. She loved cuddles, but there was a problem: Ami grew spines – how can you cuddle a spiny echidnaTo receive a FREE copy of this book – email us a wildlife rescue story complete with pictures to

[email protected] and if chosen you will receive a beautiful copy of this wonderful children’s book.

Fantastic, looking forward to the nextissue. Louise O’Gorman, Coordinator,Animal Studies, Agriculture and AnimalScience, NMIT, Yarra Bend Rd, Fairfield,VIC.

I would like to congratulate you on agreat online magazine, very informative andprofessionally presented, well done. CheersDi Stockbridge, Wildlife Carer of 20 yrs

I believe this is one of the best magazineI have come across for rescuing wildlife.Thanks for such as wonderful job. TeresitaBastides-Heron

I have just read your most wonderfulnewsletter I downloaded, can I say it wasperhaps one of the very best newsletters I haveread.The information is great, as I am arescuer and carer of echidnas, platypus andpossums, sea turtles, sea birds and quolls, Iwas over the moon reading your stories andinformation. All the best and thank you againfor a wonderful newsletter. AudreyKoosmen, Hunter Wildlife Rescue NSW(30+ years and still going strong)

We are proud to announce the‘Winner’ of Vote for your favourite storyin Issue 4. Shelby - Pouch Reconstructionsent in by Hannah Marco WINS thelovely book collection by Jill Morris -The Wombat Who Talked to The Stars.



Wildlife Rescue MagazinePublisher/Advertising 0413 587 613Email [email protected] www.wildliferescuemagazine.com

Wildlife Rescue Magazine is published six times per year.

PublisherWildlife Rescue MagazinePhone: 0413 587 613Website: www.wildliferescuemagazine.com

Editor [email protected] Devos

ProductionArtizen Image Design, Brisbane, Queensland

AdvertisingWildlife Rescue MagazinePhone: 0413 587 613Email [email protected]: www.wildliferescuemagazine.com

© 2012 The materials in this publication constitute Wildlife Rescue Magazinecopyright. Unless otherwise indicated, you MAY download the full magazine,store in cache, distribute, display, print and reproduce materials from thismagazine in an unaltered form only (retaining this notice and any headers andfooters that appear with the original materials) for your personal, non-commercial use or use within your organisation. No part of this publication maybe reproduced or reprinted in any form or by any means for Commercial Usewithout the prior written permission of the publisher. Copyright Act 1968©Wildlife Rescue Magazine 2012If you have questions about the use of this magazine or would like to apply forpermission to use articles from this magazine for commercial use, pleasecontact: [email protected] The intellectual rights in all new material vests in the author or creator of suchmaterial. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of thispublication may be reproduced by any process, or any exclusive right exercised,without the written permission of Wildlife Rescue Magazine.Authors warrant that they are the owner of all intellectual property rights relatingto all material supplied by them, their officers, servants and agents to WildlifeRescue Magazine.Authors hereby indemnify Wildlife Rescue Magazine in respect of all actions,proceedings, claims and demands made against Wildlife Rescue Magazine byany person arising from the use by Wildlife Rescue Magazine of any materialsubmitted to Wildlife Rescue Magazine by the authors, their officers, servantsand agents for publication in Wildlife Rescue Magazine.The articles represent the view of the authors and the editorial represents theview of the editor. Other opinions expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the Editoror Wildlife Rescue Magazine.Please note that the material presented in this online magazine has beenprepared for the general information of the reader and should not be used orrelied upon for specific applications without first securing competent advice.Wildlife Rescue Magazine, its members, authors, staff and consultants, do notrepresent or warrant its suitability for any general or specific use and assumeno responsibility of any kind in connection with the information here in.WARRANTY & INDEMNITY – Authors, advertisers and/or advertising agenciesupon and by lodging material with the Publisher for publication or authorisingor approving of the publication of any material INDEMNIFY the Publisher, itsservants and agents, against all liability claims or proceedings whatsoeverarising from the publication and without limiting the generality of the foregoingto indemnify each of them in relation to defamation, slander of title, breach ofcopyright, infringement of trademarks or names of publication titles, unfaircompetition or trade practices, royalties or violation of right to privacy ANDWARRANTY that the material complies with all relevant laws and regulationsand that its publication will not give rise to any rights against or liabilities in thePublisher, its servants or agents and in particular that nothing therein is capableof being misleading or deceptive or otherwise in breach of Part V of the TradePractices Act 1974.ADVERTISING CONDITIONS - See advertising rates available atwww.wildliferescuemagazine.com


Contents v1n5 Part A

COVER STORY21 Brushtail

possumsAndrea Devos

Feature stories

The D.I.Y Guy17 Temperature

controlled heatbox Glen Burston

Regulars

Articles72 Reptile rescue

Andrea Devos

77 Pika the BrushtailpossumLinda Dennis

Readers’ stories12 Black swan with

botulismNora Preston











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Teat Size and Description PriceA Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50B Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50B Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00C Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50E Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00F Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00

2 Coats are suitable for Young Animals Only

Teat Size and Description Price#1 Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50#2 Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50#2 Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00#3 Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50#3 Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00#4 Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00#5 Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00

2 Coats are suitable for Young Animals Only

ComfortsSmall $ 3.00Medium $ 4.00Large $ 5.00

Comforts Extra SoftSmall $ 3.00Medium $ 4.00Large $ 5.00

PostagePostage will be advised

1 Kangaroo Pinkie and Wallaby2 Kangaroo over 1.5kg and larger

Wallabies3 Kangaroo 3kg to 5kg4 Kangaroo 5kg to 10kg5 Kangaroo 10kg to weaning.A Flying Fox's less than 10 daysB Flying Fox's to weaningC Unfurred Possums, Bandicoots,

Antechinus and Small MammalsE Small Koalas and WombatsF Larger Unweaned Koalas and

WombatsMini Teats – suitable for tiny pinkies,

bandicoot, wallaby and numbats

Mini Teats

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Payment by direct deposit please.Either online, or you can go into your own bank and ask them to do it for you.

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Account Name: GJ + JM BurstonCommonwealth Bank

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In Reference: Please put your Name.Email: [email protected]

Inquiries to Jo: 0409 086973RMB 161 Perup Road Manjimup W.A. 6258


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Support our work

17-19 May 2013Westport Conference Centre

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Their Future is in Our HandsA conference focusing on all aspects of wildlife rehabilitation

Research findings, translocation and conservation of wild koalas

VolunteerPRESS HERE TO SIGN UP

DonatePRESS HERE TO MAKE A DONATION

www.koalahospital.org.au/support/koala-hospital-volunteers

www.koalahospital.org.au/adopt-a-wild-koala

We're a non-profit, non-commercial enterprise.

We have over 1100 subscribers; including many professionals in the wildlife field.

Kathryn Keen created the wonderful Ozark Forum and many answers are to be found in their great forums.

To join simply write direct to the administrator at [email protected] or fill in the Contact Form on the website, with detailsof your chosen username and password.

You username can just be your first name or it can be whatever you want. Make the password something relevant to you,which you can remember.

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Black swan. Photo by Kip Lee

Nora PrestonBlack swan with botulism


Aweak swan that couldn’t standup was handed in. The swanwas immediately rushed off to

the vet, who examined the swan.I explained that the swan

appeared to be suffering fromweakness in the legs, otherwise knownas botulism.

Botulism is apparently caused bybacteria that grows in the mud, whenthe water level drops, and the swansfeed in the mud.

Treatment: A penicillin shot.I locked the swan up in the aviary

at night, and carried him out throughthe day into the shaded sunshine, bythe water, placing his food into thewater.

A few days later the swan wasstanding again.

It’s important to speedily releasethe swan as soon as they haverecovered.

VOTE

Did you love this story – vote for yourfavourite story in Part B. The winnerwill receive a wonderful book called'Puggle in a Pocket' by Kevin Baker



Black swan. Photo by Arthur Chapman Black swans with cygnet. Photo by Nora Preston


A KangaA Day

A Kanga a Day - Day 1307

September 2012:Kiyo's very photogenic new joey,

who henceforth shall be known as Desdemona.

Photo by Brett Clifton

RECEIVE DAILY PICS AND STORIES LIKE THIS ONESign up to receive a free daily picture of Brett Clifton’s beautiful Eastern

Grey Kangaroos also known as Forester Kangaroos in Tasmania.Email to [email protected]


‘Possum’CLICK HERE to see more!www.ozwildart.com

Elizabeth CogleyAustralian Wildlife

Artist

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As everyone knows the success tocaring for injured wildlife is tokeep them WARM. If you can

keep the temperature regulated this isone thing you need not worry about.

Here at the refuge we run entirelyon Solar Power so I have to be everaware of what heating is being usedand supplied to the wildlife in care. Itmust also be efficient and easy to use.

OK we get no power bills but howefficient are “your” heat boxes andhow much do they add to your everincreasing power bills? [Strange thosebills never seem to go down.]

Remember the Old IncandescentLights these were great in providingheat. Being very inefficient they doprovide light but use a lot of the powerrequired to produce that heat.

Just to let you know these are nowbeing phased out and you will only beable to purchase fluorescent type orenergy efficient lights in future. Thesedo not give off anywhere near as muchheat.

Here are two of our old style heatboxes, I made many years ago, areregularly used and are still in greatcondition.

They have either 1 or 2 globes andare controlled by a dimmer switch.One of our single light heat boxes. Photo by Glen Burston

Glen Burston

Temperature controlled heat boxTTHHEE DD..II..YY GGUUYY



Now these were ok but we were alwayschecking on the temperature andmoving that dammed dimmer dial tosuit.

What can be done the other halfsaid! It’s very time consuming and ifnot checked regularly they couldunder heat an animal very quickly.Time to update them.

Off to the Man Shed I go withheat box’s in tow. Chuck on somethinking music and away we go!.

I was not happy with the boardthat slid in and out of the box as ittended to bow in the middle. So I havenow reinforced with a nice piece ofJarrah. This stops any bowing of thebase what better time to upgradethem.

There are a lot of heatingelements on the internet and for thisarticle I have used the well proven andever reliable Kimani Aviaries KM-HC-1 Heating Element andThermostat dual range-high/low.

Extended temperature range-approx. 22º-30ºC (low) up to 30º-45ºC (high). (Subject to minimumambient temperatures and internaldimensions of the area to be heated.)

Element and sensor plug into thethermostat control box and comesnicely packaged.

OK so 2 x 60W incandescentglobes draw 120W all the time. Usingthe dimmer at say ¾ it still uses 110W.The beauty about the temperaturecontrolled heating element, it will

One of our dual light heat boxes. Photo by Glen BurstonSeen here is the heating element mounted on a thin steel plate to assist with dissipationof the heat. On the left is the temperature pick up sensor.



Here we have the finished product.

Close up of the controller. The switch onthe side is the high-low temperaturesetting. The green LED stays bright whenin warming mode and flashes when attemperature.

switch on and off once it is attemperature. So in warming up modeit uses about 100W but once it gets totemperature it will cycle on and off.This reduces power consumption byapprox. 50%.

I used three thermometers tocheck things out when testing [OK Ilike testing things!]. As well as aRaytech Laser Temperature Gun. [Ihave a lot of toys – my wife keepstelling me so.]

Once a set temperature is given itwill hold that temperature and doesnot fluctuate like the old globes did.This will please she who must beobeyed [was in the contract].

Please note: As this is 240V, Irecommend that a licenced electriciandoes the wiring for you. I have a verywildlife friendly electrician I can callupon if needed.

Any questions please direct themthrough the magazine or shoot me anemail [email protected] .

Staying warm and fuzzy Happy Heating Glen

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About the Artist...Mel Hills is a locally grown artist who grew up in Orford and wentto school at Triabunna. She has persistently lurked about theEast Coast ever since.Mel specialises in wildlife art, scientific illustration andwatercolour landscapes. Murals are also a sideline. A need to explore, discover and understand led Mel to linkstudies in both art and science. She says “For me there is noboundary between the two disciplines; both require observation,analysis and experimentation. They’re very complementary.”

The Inspiration“I love to share my joy in the landscape and the wonders thatsurround us. I get a bit caught up in the detail of piecessometimes, wanting to get it just right. I love the challenge oftrying to capture the essence of something and show that toothers.

I’m just a kid who likes to say “hey, look at how cool THIS is” allthe time. ”

The CreationMels' favourite tools are her sketchbook, camera and hermicroscope. (Although the microscope is a little less portable.) Of her images she says, “Each image comes togetherdifferently. Some are achieved on the spot, when I have a closeencounter with a creature that captures my attention. Mylandscapes are increasingly influenced by the plein-airsketching I love to do. Generally though, things are a littleslower. Often I have an idea for an image and it will take memonths or years to gather enough information to create thepainting. I do a lot of field sketching, where I gather information abouthabits and behaviours. I also take lots of photos and use museum specimens to ensure

details are correct. Once I have all the information, the finishedimage is roughed out and then built up in successive layers inorder to get the complexity, depth and detail required. ”

What’s next?In the future I’d love to explore a total landscape more fully. – Itwould be fun to do an Antarctic study, or study an island suchas Macquarie, or Maatsuyker – in all weathers, with all theiroccupants. Exploring the Desert and the Kimberley are alsoideas that have been growing in my mind for some years. Thenthere are also those bugs I keep drawing, I might have to dosomething with them..

For more information about Mel, her product range or to justcheck out some images please visit her web site:www.melhillswildart.com.au

http://www.melhillswildart.com.au

Brushtail Possum. Photograph by Pam Turner

Andrea DevosBrushtail Possums


Rescue, Rehabilitation and Release

In Australia there are a 27 species ofpossum, though similar in many

respects, each species fills a differentniche in the available habitat.

Some species are very territorial andwill defend their territory from

others of their own kind. Such as theBrushtail Possum.



Brushtail possum looking down from on top of a post. Photograph by Robyn Gates



A brushtail possum in a makeshift nesting box. Photograph by Leanne Terrington



Leadbeaters Possum

A few species are common but themajority are endangered or

vulnerable due mainly to habitat lossin some areas. The Leadbeater

possum in Victoria lives in a confinedarea and is at risk.


The Pygmy Possum. Photograph by Alexis Meyer


The Pygmy Possum is the smallest ofall possums. The most colourful is the

Striped Possum and the mostcommon is the Brushtail Possum.



The Striped Possum. Photograph by Hannah Marco



The Brushtail Possum face close-up. Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan



Albino Brushtail Possum. Photograph by Hanna Marco

Brushtail PossumTrichosurus vulpecula

Mammalia:Phalangeridae

Brushtails are the most studied ofall the possum families becausethey are common and easy to

capture and maintain in captivity.

There are three accepted species ofBrushtail Possum in Australia,although there are many colourvariations including the GoldenBrushtail Possum and the Albino

Brushtail Possum. Because all the three species are

similar the following information onthe Rescue, Rehabilitation and Releaseof the Brushtail Possum will include

all three species.

The Northern Brushtail Possum –found in the Kimberley region. The

northern area of the NorthernTerritory and on Burrow Island.

The Mountain Brushtail (also knownas the Bobuck) – found in the

mountainous forests of south eastQueensland, eastern New South Wales

and eastern Victoria.The Common Brushtail Possum –Seen throughout most of Australia,

from far north Queensland right downto the colder climates of Tasmania,

smaller colonies exist in lower WesternAustralia. They are considered rare inSouth Australia and endangered in the

Northern Territory.



Golden Brushtail Possum. Photograph by Pam Turner



Common Brushtail Possum Photograph by Sue Rose


The Mountain Brushtail Possum,or Bobuck as it is also commonlycalled, is one of the largest species ofarboreal marsupials living in wetsclerophyll forests in south-easternAustralia, and cool temperaterainforests patches in NSW and southeastern QLD.

The southern population of theMountain Brushtail has been provento be a separate species. It occurs inVictoria and southern NSW and theNorthern species occurs inQueensland and as far down asNewcastle in central NSW.

The southern animals of thisspecies have olive grey fur with whiteunderbelly. On the north coast ofAustralia the Mountain Brushtail canhave a variety of colours, from thecommon grey colour to golden, black,brown and a combination of all, with awhite underbelly which ischaracteristic of this species.

Dumpy in shape they have shortrounded ears, black bushy tail, tailnaked underside, tip of tail naked. Furcolour varies- from silver grey to darkgrey, white underbelly. The calls aresimilar to the Brushtail.

Adult Mountain Brushtails weigh2.5-4.5kg. The head-body length is45-57cm.

Sexual maturity is fully reached atabout 3 years of age.

Females mature during the secondbreeding season after birth, only 50%


produce young when 2 years old.Breeding season is March-May.Females do not breed every year.

The Mountain Brushtail femalegives birth to normally only oneyoung. Gestation period is 15-17 days,with a pouch life of 5-6 months.

Lactation continues for a further2-5 months. Dispersal of young occursbetween 18-36 months. Femalesusually disperse earlier than males.Females are mature between 24-36months. Pouch life is approximately120 days, after which the juvenilepossum will travel part time on mum’sback. Mortality rate at this stage canbe high.

They tend to stay with theirmother for much longer than otherpossum species.

Lifespan can be as long as 17years, possibly longer.

Mountain Brushtails live in densin tree hollows, logs or occasionallyepiphytes such as elks.

All possums are territorial. The scent gland on the chest

secretes a clear fluid there is nostaining on the chest like the commonBrushtail.

The old way of relocating apossum after care is no longer anoption we should consider. They willin most cases not survive, becauseother possums already in residence willnot tolerate competition, and canseriously injure the newcomer.

Compared to the CommonBrushtail the Mountain Brushtail hasone short breeding season and a slowergrowth rate. A high mortality amongthe dependant young of this speciesalong with the reproductive failure ofsome females 4 years or older, seemsto keep the population of theMountain Brushtail under control.Contrast this with the CommonBrushtail, which has a wider range, 2breeding seasons, and is adaptable tomost areas.

Mountain Brushtails eats a widevariety of plant species including avariety of herb layer species, fungi,lichens, leaves of shrubs and trees.Mature foliage of Eucalyptus ispreferred. Will eat fruits, buds andinsects. Male cones of the Montereypines and wattle are also eaten.

They do not consume largeamounts of eucalypt leaves like theCommon Brushtail.

The Mountain Brushtail Possum. Photograph by Bruce Thomson


Possums are hind-gut fermenterswith a simple stomach but anexpanded colon and caecum (Hume1999). This means their digestivesystem has been adapted to utilize low-quality foliage which is the bulk oftheir diet. Brushtails are less efficientat doing this than other more strictfolivores like Ringtails and Greatergliders.

This is why Brushtails can alsosupplement their diet with high-energy / high nutrient foods whenthey are available. Eucalypts containvery little protein and are also low incarbohydrates but are high in toxins."Gut flora" is the GOOD bacteriumthat helps with the (breakdown)fermentation of plant material and thisis why we do not give antibiotics bymouth as it upsets and can also destroythe "gut flora" causing diarrhoea.

It's unsure how possums toleratepoisons found in plants. Sodiummonofluoracetate (1080) found in plantsis used to poison pest species like feralcats, wild dogs and foxes but theCommon Brushtail in Western Australiacan tolerate a higher concentration thanthe possums in NSW.

The Brushtail possum sizes vary,from females being 60-80cm andmales 68–95cm, depending from whatarea of Australia.

The weight of a Brushtail Possum;for a female is 2.5–3.8kg and males3.2–4.3kg.


Life span is around 10 years; theoldest recorded Brushtail was 14 years.

The Brushtail possum has adaptedto suburban areas very well and it is byfar the most common of the possumfamily found in built up areas. Itchooses to live in the roofs of houseswhich has made it very unpopular asits urine stains the ceiling, and itspitter patter of little feet when it leavesat dusk and returns at dawn can soundlike a herd of elephants in your ceiling.(If you have noise in your ceilingthrough the night you will most likelyhave rats in your ceiling instead of apossum).

The Brushtail spends a great dealof time on the ground, especially inthe winter as fruiting trees are rare.

The Brushtail possum is anomnivore which means it eats bothplant and meat matter.

All possums have scent glands, themales are more prominent than thefemales and are used to mark theirterritory and family members.

In Brushtail possum males a scentgland is located on the chest, chin andcloacca. Used to mark their territory,the reddish secretions from this gland,gives the fur around it a brown orrusty appearance. Males areconsiderably larger then that offemales. Females do not have scentglands rather they leave a concentratedurine track when travelling aroundtheir territory.

A brushtail joey being removed from the teat. Photograph by Steve Amesbury

Mammary glands (teats) are foundinside the pouch (females only) andthe number depends on the species.

Sexually mature females havereddish-brown stained fur around

the pouch area. This is secreted frompouch glands and may assist

neonates in locating the pouch afterbirth.

Mammary gland.Photographed by Sonya Stanvic



A newborn joey of a Brushtail Possum. This baby is too small to be saved as it is underdeveloped. Photograph by Andrea Devos

Possums are marsupials. This meansthey give birth to very small

undeveloped young which are blindand naked. Their development is

finalised within a pouch. At birth thehind limbs are nothing more than

fan-shaped buds, unlike the forelimbswhich are more developed and have

sharp curved claws. Using theseforearms the newborn makes its way

from the cloaca by climbing andclinging to the mothers fur until it

reaches the pouch.



Brushtail joey. Photograph by Sonya Stanvic

Once inside the pouch its first priorityis to locate a teat and clamp it's

mouth firmly around it. It remainsattached like this for about 3 monthsin the case of a brushtail and less forthe smaller possums. In this secondstage of development possums grow

rapidly, the ears and eyes open,whiskers and teeth develop and a

thick coating of fur covers the joey. Itis referred to as a pouch young.



The Brushtail joey grows and develops ears, whiskers, eyes open, fur begins to grow. Photograph by Andrea Devos

The Brushtail Possum stays attached to the teat for about 3 months. Photograph by Andrea Devos



At this size the Brushtail Possum is still in the pouch. Photograph by Cherie Reid

The joey grows and starts to cling to themother’s back. Photograph by Terri Eather

As the baby grows it becomes toolarge for it's pouch nursery and startsto cling to the mothers back or is leftin the den whilst mother forages forfood. Its now called a back young.



The back claw of a Brushtail Possum. Photograph by Andrea Devos

Their hands and feet have beendesigned to grip branches, and theirclaws enable them to vertically scaletrees. All possums have a groomingclaw and some have prehensile tails.



The front claw of a Brushtail Possum. Photograph by Andrea Devos



The tail of a Brushtail Possum – notice that the bottom side of the tail has naked skin, allowing it to cling better to branches. Photograph by Andrea Devos



Twin Striped Possums. Photograph by Hannah Marco



Brushtail Possum joey being fed wombaroo formula from a bottle. Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan



Marsupial body temperatures are acouple of degrees lower than oursaround 35.5 degrees C. Some of thesmaller possums such as Sugar &Squirrel gliders, Pygmy possums andFeathertail glider can enter torpor(lower their body temperature) toconserve energy during adverseweather conditions.

This also reduces the need toforage for food when it’s in shortsupply e.g insects, sap, nectar andpollen.

Tooth structure is basically thesame in all species, strong upper andlower incisors are used to cut leaves ,gouge the bark for sap and insects andopen nuts and fruit. The molars areused for crushing and grinding food.

Brushtail possums in captivitytend to have a longer life span due tothe environment in which they arekept. Some factors are healthtreatments, constant supply ofnutritious diets and no predators, butgenerally they live up to 9 years.

Preferred foods- Brushtailpossums will eat sugary foods first,because nectar is so hard to come by inthe wild especially in the summer andwinter.

Omnivorous animals are able toadapt to different diets as long as thefood is digestible and nutritious

The captive diet of Brushtailsshould be a variety of foods, butsticking as close as possible to their

native foods will aid the animal inrelease, however you can feed differenttypes of food to the Brushtails while incare if natural food is in short supplyas they are mostly omnivores their dietcould contain:-

Apple, banana, carrot, figs (driedand fresh), grapes/kiwifruit, kangaroocubes, spinach (in moderation),orange, rockmelon, watermelon,spinach, sweet potatoes uncooked,corn uncooked, minced meat/ chicks/dog kibble good quality and bacon.

Brushtail possum joey in care.Photograph by Cherie Reid

A curious brushtail possum joey in care.Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan

A brushtail possum joey in care.Photograph by Barbara Brindley

Brushtail Possum with a strawberry.Photograph by Krista

Brushtail Possum with a banana.Photograph by Katie Spreadborough

Mountain Pygmy Possum. All PygmyPossums can enter a torpor state (lowertheir body temperature) to conserveenergy during adverse weatherconditions. Photograph by Alexis Meyer



Brushtail with apple. Photograph by Krista

Brushtail Possum with grapes.Photograph by Krista



Brushtail Possum with a mushroom. Photograph by Sue Rose

Brushtail Possum eating an apple piece.Photograph by Leanne Terrington


While in care Brushtail possumsshould be fed 10% of their bodyweight every night plus 1, being thatyou have four females in the enclosure,then five portions of food should beplaced around the enclosure to stopaggressive behaviour between thedominant female and omega female.

The ratio of vegetable to meatshould be 90% vegetation 10% meatproduct.

Example: 3kg Brushtail consumes300g of food, 270g of vegetation and30g of meat.

Fresh water should be available atall times.

Being that the Brushtail is nativeto Australia you should add its naturaldiet within its captive diet.

The natural native diet for theBrushtail possum is a variety of plantmatter, fruit and meat includinginvertebrates and arthropods as theyare omnivores and eat the fullspectrum of foods.SUPPLEMENTS

Calcium supplements should befed to pregnant or lactating BrushtailPossums, (they eat a root of theEucalypt that is high in calcium andphosphorus)

Feeding day old chicks at the timeof gestation and pregnancy can beused as an alternate feeding ratherthen using calcium powder or liquids.

Veterinary advice should besought out before supplementing as


Brushtail Possums wild diet consists of:

Black Gum – scientific nameEucalyptus Aaggregate (SEE PIC)

Tasmanian Blue Gum – EucalyptusGlobulus (SEE PIC)

All Eucalyptus Gums such asEucalyptus Schlerophyll (SEE PIC)Eucalyptus Haemastoma (SEE PIC)

Eucalyptus Grandis (SEE PIC)Warby Swamp Gum – Eucalyptus

CadensKamarooka Mallee – Eucalyptus

Froggatti Sydney Golden Wattle – Acacia

Longifolia (SEE PIC)

Pink Tea Tree – LeptospermumSquarrosum (SEE PIC)

this includes species of tea treeSunshine Wattle – Acacia Terminalis

(SEE PIC)Red Spider Flower Grevillea –

Grevillia Speciosa ssp speciosa (SEE PIC)Ghost Gum – Eucalytus Laeliae

(SEE PIC)Swamp Gum – Eucalyptus Ovata

(SEE PIC)Grevillea Family

Bottle Brush – Callistemon subulatus{new shoot and flowers} (SEE PIC)

Brushtail Possums

non native wilddiet consists of:

Plumbago (SEE PIC) Rose plants (SEE PIC)

RosemaryLantana (SEE PIC)

Apple treesFig trees – Ficus

Lemon [they only eat smallamount of the rind]

Brushtail Possums

carnivorous dietconsists of:

Bird chicks commonly noisyminers and plovers

ArthropodsInvertebrates

Plumbago. Photograph by Robbie Sydney

Roses.Photograph by Robbie Sydney

Lantana. Photograph by Robbie Sydney



Bottlebrush - Callistemon subulatus

Golden Wreath Wattle – Acacia Terminalis

Pink tea tree – Leptospermum Squarrosum this includes other species of tea tree

Swamp Gum blossom - Eucalyptus Ovata



Swamp Gum - Eucalyptus Ovata

Red Spider Flower Grevillea – Grevillia Speciosa ssp speciosa

Sydney Golden Wattle – Acacia Longifolia

Black Gum – Eucalyptus Aggregate



Sunshine Wattle – white version – Acacia Terminalis

Flowers of the Eucalyptus Schlerophyll

Eucalyptus Schleroplyll

Tasmanian Blue Gum – Eucalyptus Globulus



Ghost gum – Eucalytus Laeliae



Tasmanian Blue Gum Blossom – Eucalyptus Globulus

Eucalyptus Haemastoma

Eucalyptus Grandis

Grevillea Family


over dosing of some nutrients can betoxic.

Brushtail Possums only feed everysecond night where they eat half theirbody weight in the winter months.

Place food around the enclosurefor environmental enrichment; place itin the trees and on the ground underfoliage as they are not strictly treedwellers.

Utensils used for feeding animalsmust not be used for any otherpurpose, and must be easy to clean anddesigned to avoid risk of injury toanimal.

Food presentation should be freshand appealing to animals.

Rule of thumb: If you wouldn’t eatit yourself DO NOT FEED IT TOYOUR ANIMALS.

When placing food in enclosuresfor possums, be sure to make itenvironmentally enriched, somesuggestions are, place the food inplaces hard to get to by the possumthis gives it stimuli and helps pass thetime in the enclosure, this will aid wildbehaviour. Possums have a goodmemory so try and constantly movethe food around to different places inthe enclosure, as this helps the naturalbehaviour to browse.

It is important to give all animalssome form of environmentalenrichment. This contributes to healthand mental well being.

It is important to hide food within


the enclosure to stimulate their highlydeveloped sense of smell.

Possums are curious animals and itis good to give them hollow logs andboxes to hide in, and explore in as wellas bark to chew on, as they chew onbark to file down their incisors.

Be sure to spread the food aroundon fruit sticks, congs, up with in thefoliage on the ground for insectfeeding foliage mixed together toenhance oilfactory gland stimuli.

Never attempt to handle ajuvenile or adult possum,

without a thicktowel or gloves on hand.

Is your tetanusbooster up to

date?Brushtail Possum in care. Photograph by Sue Rose



Look at this Ringtail Possum's tongue, tail and legs! Impressive acrobatics. Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan


Best time for catching BrushtailPossums is late dusk and or earlymorning when it is not hot, thetemperature should be below 20Celsius.

Avoid chasing the BrushtailPossum as this can lead to capturemyopathy and this will lead to death.It is the main cause of death aftercapture has taken place as it can takeup to two weeks to show signs.

To ensure safety for the persondoing the capturing of the animal, usedark hessian bags as this reduces clawsfrom protruding and causing injury tothe captor, and reduces stress for theBrushtail. Although pillow cases areoften used- take care as their nails canprotrude and cause injury to theperson doing the capture.

Thin rubber backed calico capturebags are good for Brushtail Possumsthat have broken limbs as the materialbreaths but it is thinly lined to stopclaws from being caught. Naturalfibres are best as synthetics can causeover heating in Brushtail, and thenatural fibres allow air flow.

The Brushtail juveniles and joeyscan be captured by placing a cottonbag over your hand, and scoop theanimal inside.

For adult Brushtails pick theanimal up by the base of tail (not theend of the tail as you can break the tailthis way) grasp the back of the neckbut make sure you gently stretch the

animals spine from one end to theother with claws away from you.

If you were to try to pick up thepossum by the scruff of the neck asyou would a cat you will be in for a bigsurprise – the possum can turn theirhead around and bite you, to preventthis you MUST stretch there spine.

For young Brushtail Possums holdwithin a towel to examine/restrain.

Stress myopathy is the biggestkiller in Possums and Macropods.

To release the Brushtail Possum,face the animal away from you, releaseyour hand at its neck. The animal willbe hanging by its tail – let its front feettouch the ground and it will already bestarting to run away from you, let goof the tail and back away from animal.

Possums should be kept in thedark at all times where possible.

Juvenile Brushtail Possums shouldbe placed in a cotton bag and placedwith in a secure box. (A plastic liddedbox is excellent). Adult Brush tailPossums should be placed directly intoa plastic box or bin.

Brushtail possums are susceptibleto disease, such as bovine tuberculosis.Reproductive/mating inadequacies,stress and parasite control such asticks, mites, lice, fleas, ringworm,internal worms, bacteria and protozoa.

It is important to reduce this riskof contamination by keeping food andwater fresh.

Brushtail Possums also suffer

from; nutrient deficiencies andoverdoses, such as vitamin E, D & A.

Coccidiosis – pathogen that livein the lining of the stomach and allmammals have healthy amountshowever if an over production ofCoccidia occur it causes inflammationof the small and large intestine andchronic diahorrea and is fatal if nottreated immediately.

Stress Dermatitis – break outsare more frequent whenenvironmental changes are made toosuddenly, this causes hair loss andulcers on the skin, more present on theface and base of tail. This is extremelycommon in male Brushtail Possumsdue to the territorial dilemma andhabitat destruction.

Any newly-acquired animal mustbe kept in isolation until it has beenexamined or restored to good healthbefore being placed with otheranimals.

Any animals with contagiousdisease such as tuberculosis orinfluenza should be removed from theenclosure, the facility sterilized, andany other animals also taken forexamination that are or were incontact with the infected animal.

Quarantine should be for aminimum of 40 days from the momentof the last animal/s is placed intoquarantine.

Brushtail Possums lead mainlysolitary lives.

If shelter is short and numbers arehigh, they will share sleeping areas thishas only been noted in female groups.

Home range varies between 1-15hectares and each home range has anoverlap into anothers.

They are nocturnal and are ansemi arboreal species coming to theground to change trees of forage forfoods such as insects, fungi and nativegrasses.

If a home site is vacant orundefended because the occupant hasdied or has been removed thenanother brushtail will claim it!

The female becomes aggressiveafter courtship has taken place andmale returns to his home territory.

Males spray around the female’stree to let other males know she hasbeen mated with. Males seek out thefemales.

Females bark when in oestrus andmales bark back until they locate thefemale. “Its like a homing device” -Sydney botanical gardens informationsheet.

The male Brushtail mounts thefemale, frequent but short burst ofcopulation happens over the next 24houtrs. During this time the female isoverly submissive to the male and themale feeds his mate, after which timehowever the female turns aggressiveand throws the male off her and hereturns to his home territory.

No matter what type of climate



the Brushtail may live in, they willbreed at least once if not twice a year.

Brushtails tend to have twobreeding seasons, a short breedingseason at the beginning of the year anda sustained breeding season in thespring months

It is important to remember thatan injured, sick or orphaned possum,as with any wild animal, will bestressed when caught. Stress can kill apossum so it is very important that it iskept in a dark, quiet place, away fromchildren and family pets.

If it is a large possum, wrap itloosely in a towel and place it in a box.Be careful of its claws and teeth as theycan do serious damage if the animalgets stressed and attacks to protectitself.

If it is a furred joey (200-350g)place it in warm woollen wrappings,eg: socks or something similar, that hasbeen lined with a cotton slip.

Make sure that it is a snug fit forthe possum (but not too tight). Placeit into a larger pouch, and seal the topwith a rubber band or tie, possums aregreat escape artists!

If you find a furless or just furredjoey (50-120g) place it in a cotton sockthen into warm wrappings. It iscrucial that the possum be kept warm.Use a heat source if you have one.

A hot water bottle can be used inan emergency, but make sure that thewater is changed regularly (do not use

boiling water). A water bottle will needto be wrapped in a towel. A heat padis a better option.

Warm the joey slowly, thetemperature inside the makeshiftpouch should be around 32-33 degreesCelsius - no higher. Do not over heatthe possum as this is as detrimental asunder heating it. A possum of this sizeneeds to get to an experienced carerurgently as they need specialised care.

Do not feed any wild animal for atleast a few hours after rescue - theyneed to have their stress levels reducedand too much human contact cansend them into shock.

Additionally, it is very importantthat you do not feed a cold animal asany food will not be digested properlyand the possum may die.

If the rescued possum is cold youwill need to warm it very slowly - ifyou warm the possum too quickly itmay die from heat-stress relatedcomplications.

An animal that is badly injured orsick will not want to eat. If this is thecase, just leave the possum in the boxuntil an experienced carer can collectit, or take it to a veterinarian.

Never attempt to feed an adultpossum by hand, as this could stress itmore, leave the food in the box, it willeat when ready.

A joey can be fed Farex (but asemergency food only - too much Farexwill kill them). Good generic milk


A tiny Brushtail joey in care, this size joey will need to be cared for by an experiencedcarer. Photograph by Cherie Reid

A little Brushtail possum. Photograph by Cherie Reid



Feeding a brushtail joey can be quite a feat if not handled correctly. Photograph by Robyn Gates



By wrapping the joey securely – feeding is easier for everyone. Photograph by Robyn Gates



Joey Brushtail in care. Photograph by Kerri Davis



Brushtail joey – at this size she would be on the back of her mother however still drinkingfrom her mother – in care she would still be on the bottle and being introduced to naitvefoods. Photograph by Kerri Davis


replacers are Divetelact andWombaroo, which can be purchased atmost veterinary clinics. Never feed apossum cows milk as they are lactoseintolerant and they will get very sickand may die. Keep the joey in thepouch with only it's head exposed.Feed the formula to the joey through asyringe or dropper held at the edge ofit's mouth - do not force the syringeinto it's mouth - the possum will lap atthe formula. Do not force feed a joey,if it seems stressed or disinterested,discontinue feeding and put it in aquiet, dark place.


Divetelact

The >0.8 Possum Milk Replacer is forjoeys greater than 80% of their pouch lifecompleted: ie older joeys emerging frompouch; short soft to dense long fur, eyesopen; ears erect.Based on Wombaroo feed guidelinesBrushtails begin to transition from <0.8 to>0.8 formula at about 100 days,corresponding to a weight of 79g (for anaverage animal).

The <0.8 Possum Milk Replacer is forjoeys with less than 80% of their pouchlife completed: ie younger joeys not yetemerged from pouch, furless to fine fur;eyes closed to just opened; ears drooped.

Kirralee Marriage holding a Brushtail possum in care. Photograph by Andrea Devos


Oestrous cycle of the BrushtailPossum is 5 days.

The gestation period of theBrushtail Possum 17-18 days aftermating where the foetus climbs fromthe cloaca through a wet trail that themother Brushtail Possum licks beforegiving birth so it can slide quickly overthe fur before drying out.

Brushtail Possums usually onlyhave one young at a time but havebeen known to have two depending onthe environmental factors, such asplenty of rain fall and good supply of

food to sustain mother and young.6-7 months or 500g this is when

weaning usually starts. The youngspends a lot of time on the mother’sback.

When weaning is complete theystill stay with the mother for another 3months.

At about 10 months the motherencourages her young to leave her sideby biting and hissing at them whenthey touch or try to climb on her back,she leaves them and no longer sharesher food.


Brushtail mother with a larger joey. This joey will soon be too big for the pouch and themother will refuse her entry. Photograph by Terri Eather

Brushtail joey. Photograph by Cherie Reid



Male Brushtail Possum. Photograph Courtesy of Express Wildlife Rescue

Brushtail joey. Photograph by Hannah Marco




Growth andDevelopment

Joey17-18 days within the mother’s uterus

weighs less then 1g4-5 months suckling on mother’s teatstill unfurred/furred weighs 50-120g5-6 months still suckling now furredweighs 200-300g ready for weaning,solids are now being offered to the

young

Juvenile7-9 months, its complete diet nowconsists of solid food its own weight10-12 months sub-adult no longer in

the home range of their mother. Sub-adult establishing its own home

territory

Adult12-24 months sexually matured,

seeking a mate, fully grown 60-90cmhead to tail

Weight range 3.2-4.3kg2-3 years in peak mating range giving

birth to young twice a year

Geriatric4-6 years beginning to becomegeriatric, teeth wearing down,immune system shutting down,

secondary disease starting to set in


A joey brushtail in a beanie – enjoying rose petals. Photograph by Andrea Devos



A striped possum joey in a pouch that is fit to her. Photograph by Hannah Marco

Albino Brushtail possum. Photograph by Hannah Marco

Snug in a pouch. Photograph by Kerri Davis

Brushtail joey tucked up snug. Photograph by Katie Spreadborough

Pouch made from wool,firm fitting to make

Joey feel securePouch liner made fromcotton not synthetics asthis does not breatheand can breed fungalgrowth and bacteria.

Pouch and liner shouldbe changed daily as

young Joeys toilet wherethey sleep.


Temperature RequirementsYoung joeys 40-150g must be kept at a constant temperature of 32 degrees C

Joeys from 150-210g should be kept at 29 degrees CYoung Joeys until they reach 210-250g, heat pads can be used and kept at a

constant temperature of 28 degrees C rather than the use of heat bags; hot waterbottles have been known to leak and scald the young. Once at 250g Brushtail

young can thermo regulate by themselves.

This chart is for feeding Divetalac


Weight ingrams

# of feedsper day

Quantity perfeed (mL)

Formulastrength Solids Toilet

40-80g

80-110g 5-6 2mL 60mL waterper scoop

Offer nativeplants

Every feed

110-130g 5 5-6mL 50mL waterper scoop

Offer nativeplants andapple

Every feed

130-150g 5 6mL 50mL waterper scoop


Every feed

150g + 5 7mL 50mL waterper scoop


Every feed


Should beeating solids

Every feed



Every feed

250g + 3 12-14mL 50mL waterper scoop


May be ableto toilet on its

own

300g + 2(increase ifweight lost)

20-25mL 50mL waterper scoop

Offer plentyof solids andformula

Can toilet onits own

6 0.5-1.5mL 70mL waterper scoop

Nil Every feed

Brushtail Possum snug. Photograph by Kerri Davis



Brushtail Possum in human-made pouch. Photograph by Elizabeth NathanBrushtail Possum warm and snugly. Photograph by Linda Dennis


Brushtail Joeys can not thermoregulate nor toilet without assistance.

Toilet a possum using a tissue orwipe. Do not aggrevate the cloaca,touch gently, tap or softly wipe. DONOT RUB.

Growth and weight charts shouldbe carried out every day and beweighed before feeding to get anaccurate weight.

A record of pellets passed shouldalso be carried out as the young Joeymay be consuming his faecal waste andthis is not normal behaviour inBrushtails, if this occurs you may needto re-evaluate your feeding plan orsupplement the food with powders orsprays.

Brushtails are prone to thrush andas this is a contagious disease, washyour hands before, during and afterfeeding young, also wash your handsbetween animals.

Clean pouches and their linersdaily or when they have been soiled bybody waste. Sterilise all feedingequipment and do not share teatsamong other Brushtails. Don’t storemilk in plastic containers, glass bottlesare best.

Chewed teats must be discarded.Milk formula must be cooled to

room temperature before beingrefrigerated and can only be kept for24 hours, after which time it must bediscarded.

Do not place Brushtails in the

same pouch straight away if they arenot from the same mother as this cancause aggression and stress to the Joey.

Each Joey must have its ownpouch available to them.

Weaning Brushtails is timeconsuming; patience must be upheldto make the weaning process as easyand the least stressful for you andanimal. Getting the animal to lap byitself as soon as possible at around400-500g can be done by reducingstrength the of the milk to avoid “teatdependence” this will also reducehumanisation in young BrushtailPossums.

Releasing Brushtails can be quitechallenging as they are highlyterritorial and vacant ground and lowwild numbers are very rarely foundand great care must be taken beforeplanning for a release as over crowdingin Brushtails cause outbreaks of stressdermatitis.

Successful ways of finding areaswhich do not have a dominant male ismonitoring roadkill. Adult males killedby cars are normally healthy and thisleaves a vacant hole in that area ofterritory (provided the male is notventuring out of its area in hunt of afemale on heat). There is only a short4-5 day gap before another male willtake over that territory.

Pre release sites should bemonitored, wild numbers must betaken.

Release must be done softly andsupport feeding offered until releasedBrushtails become accustomed to theirwild surroundings. Providing apossum box for your brushtail at therelease site allows that your possum isnot fighting for a home from day oneand support feeding will also help thepossum while it searches for its foodsource – having a monitoring cameraat the support feeding site will helpwith you seeing what is actuallyhappening with the possum –sometimes the possum moves onquickly and other animals are comingdown to eat the food and in fact youare not feeding the intended possumbut an assortment of animals – at thistime it is important to stop supplyingthe food as diseases can occur to otheranimals from the faeces and urine leftat the feeding site.

Predators are quolls, dogs, foxesand back young are taken by Powerfulowls and probably feral cats.Aborigines hunted them for food andused their pelts to make rugs andclothing.

In the 1850's the Brushtail wasintroduced to New Zealand fromTasmania, Victoria and NSW toestablish a fur industry - it soonbecame a pest!

They keep munching on NewZealand's forest, bringing it closer toextinction because they do not haveany predators to keep the numbers

down. Brushtails also threaten NewZealand's native birds as they eatyoung chicks and eggs. New Zealandspends around NZ$50 million eachyear to help diminish the Brushtailsimpact - it has been estimated there isbetween 60 and 70 million Brushtailsin New Zealand!

Brushtails are about the size of alarge cat with thick grey fur tippedwith black guard hairs on top and acreamy under belly. Males having awet reddish brown stain on the fur inthe middle of the chest area caused bysecretions from a chest gland, these,along with chin and anal glands areused for scent marking their territory.The ears are large and pointed and thethick furred tail is black and bushy(hence the name) with a thin bare stripunderneath to help grip the branches.Males are larger and heavier thanfemales and the female's chest scentgland is less obvious than the males.Around 18 months of age the males'fur gets a rufous tinge on theirshoulders. The large brown eyes arehighlighted by black markings and thenose is pink with long black whiskersprotruding from the muzzle.

Brushtails prefer a variety ofhabitats from woodland to rain foreststo farm lands with a high density inurban areas. They need hollows fordens but are not fussy where they sleepas long as it's quiet, dry, warm anddark. Roofs, roller doors, chimneys,



wood boxes and even under houses areused for sleeping quarters which is notalways appreciated by the humanresidents who share the sameenvironment!

Because Brushtails have learnt tocoexists with humans its diet hasexpanded, from the natural, whichincludes native foliage, fruits, flowers,insects, bird's eggs, nestlings to theexotic such as pizza, meat pies, scrapsleft in compost bins, herbs, introducedfruit, veggies and other exotic plants,like roses and geraniums.

Digestion takes 1.5-3.0 days forboth synthetic and natural foliage diets.

Brushtails communicate throughsound and scent. They can be veryverbal during the breeding season withsounds ranging from harsh screechesand growls to the soft call a malemakes (similar to a distressed juvenilecalling for its mother) when courting afemale. Females have a closerelationship with their young but oncethe joey leaves the pouch it mustmaintain contact with its mother if it isnot going to be left behind. Theresident male is very tolerant towardstheir young sometimes giving them agentle clip if they jump on their backinstead of mum’s. Male and femaleadults do not share the same den buttheir home ranges may over lap.

Brushtails are very territorial andthe dominant male (boss) will attackand chase subordinate males especially


Brushtail Possum. Photograph by Hannah Marco

around breeding time. Their homerange (the area where the animal feeds,breeds and lives) is determined bypopulation density which depends onthe availability of food and housing.

Males comprise about 33% of theadult population.

Mortality is high for juvenilesfrom 7 to 18 months when the youngleave the security of their mother’s dento find their own niche.

Brushtails are polygamous meaningthey mate with more than one partnerat breeding time. They are also very

vocal during breeding season as thedominant male tries to ward off othersuitors, male testes increase in size andare very large around breeding time.Females can breed as early as 12months and males from 16 months.Most births occur during autumn and asmaller birth season in spring(September-November) but births havebeen recorded in every month. Over90% of females breed each year and50% may breed in both seasons. Thegestation period is 16-18 days and atbirth the young will weigh 0.2g -13mm

(Smith 1980) lactation starts onceattached to the teat.

Most males are not mature untilthe second breeding season after birthbut testes usually reach adult sizearound 12-14 months and sperm isproduced.

If a female loses a young she willreturn to the oestrus (fertile) cycleafter eight or nine days. In Australiathe sex ratio of pouch young seems tofavour males in some areas.

The female has two teats inside herpouch but only one young is reared at atime, twins are rare - in a sample of 64only 2 examples of twins were found.Young remain in the pouch for 170 to190 days then ride on the mother’s backwhile she forages for food.

Weaned around 250 days theyleave their mother’s maternal denbetween 7 and 16 months, males leaveearlier than females. Survival of pouchyoung is about 85% in Australia.

Possums should be buddied, abuddy system not only assists theanimals to become better possums italso helps the fostercarer frombonding with a single young.

Along with food, warmth, andgood management skills anunderstanding of the species’ naturalhistory will ensure a healthy welladjusted possum. One that has a goodchance of survival when released backinto the wild.



Buddying brushtails from 400g is recommended. Photograph by Cherie Reid



It is important to buddy animalsup when they are not confined to abeanie otherwise they can suck andscratch each other.

Consider buddying them around400g, this is the age they have finishedwith mother’s pouch and become aback young.

To help them adapt to anotherpossum, put both possums inside apillow slip (during the day), place yourhand inside and scruff them together,this way they are totally confused andeach has the smell of the other onthem.

Place them with the slip inside apossum box and then place the food intwo separate dishes inside the cage

before dark. Usually they come out abit late because they are not surewhat's going on and feel a littleintimidated! Some times they growl ateach other but if you open the door ofthe room they will both jump into thebox together - and that's it.

E.g. A young 350g wild pouchedyoung (mother was killed by car) wasput with a 450g hand-reared young.The hand-reared young was muchmore insecure than the wild one andwould hang onto him constantly - butthey settled down. If one continues tocling to the other it’s time to separatethem. The possum which is beingclung to will suffer severely fromstress.

All possums should be buddied. Photograph by Cherie Reid

Buddying – these two brushtails were buddied and were able to be successfully released.Photograph by Liz McNeil

Buddying helps possums when they leave their carer. Photograph by Liz McNeil


Brushtail five months old(approx.)

390-500gLapping two milk feeds per day, a

good time to buddy up.Sleeping in a possum box placed in

a large cage with a large size stuffed toyto mirror mother, which they can clingto (makes them feel secure).

Place native foliage in cage and asmall amount of mixed fruit (apple, pear,banana, rockmelon). Milk is stillimportant at this stage for growth anddevelopment.

Wild young would still be sucklingand clinging to mum’s back (out ofpouch).

Brushtail six months old(approx.)

500-700g +Lapping one milk feed per day, can

still buddy up.Place into larger cage on the porch

(start acclimatising) with the possumbox it will have when it's transferred tothe aviary. You can add more nativeplants (new green tips), it is importantto introduce plants from the area it willbe released into.

Do not feed exotic fruits, keep itsimple! You can also add small piece ofcorn, a slice of sweet potato, a fewgrapes, apple and some insects likebeetles and moths.

I place the milk in first then add thedish with a small amount of fruit once

the milk has gone. Weigh your fruit andonly add more if the plate is empty andthe leaves (tips) are being eaten. Addburnt or fresh bark off native trees andplace fresh foliage during the afternoon.

This is a good time to clean thecage (when they are asleep in their box)very rarely do they pop their heads outand then only if there is a loud noise -they prefer the security of their possumbox.

Spray foliage with water to keep itfresh.

This is the right age to begin todistance yourself and dehumanise thepossum. Do not use protein supplementwhile it's still on milk!

Brushtails seven months(approx.)

700-800gLapping one milk feed per day - can

still be buddied up but should be donebefore they are placed into releaseaviary. If all is well place them into therelease aviary with their box. Make surethe branches are new and have twofeeding stations.

Weigh the possums before they goin and once a week for the first twoweeks. Weight loss will tell you there isa problem - contact advisers ASAP(experience carer).

If you find one on the ground takeit out immediately. If there is lots offood left they may still be settling in (2days max) contact an experienced carer

for advice.Wild possums would still be with

their mum and some may still besuckling, if it goes off its milk do notworry. Use protein mix (when off milk)on fruit, make sure you weigh the fruitand the protein mix as it can makeanimals bulk on too much weight!

Do not feed during the daytime,clean aviary and replace foliage beforedark. Place fruit plate into aviary justbefore dusk.

Make sure water is always available,if they should want it. I take the wholebox inside and put each possum one at atime into a pillow slip to weigh them.

If your animal has lost weightcontact an adviser ASAP (experiencedcarer).

Brushtails nine months(approx.)

1000-1200gSoft release means allowing the

possum to return and leave at will withsupport feeding for awhile.

When it’s time to open the hatch,watch from a distance and make sureyour domestic animals are contained.Sometimes they have a little troublegripping as their nails can be blunt fromclimbing on wire or dry branches.

But do not rush to them if theyfall – they are quite resilient to falls.

Leave the hatch open but do checkif any of the locals are visiting as theywill eat the food. Do not leave lots of

fruit in the aviary as rats and free loaderswill be visiting every night.

It usually takes a week for them tofind a niche outside the aviary and sometimes you don't see them for a fewnights but they will return!

Mine have always come back for afleeting visit to grab some food or justbecause they know it's a safe place forthem.

Try not to release around breedingseason as adult males and females can bevery aggressive. If you release them tooold you will make life very hard forthem as possums are territorial creaturesand can inflict nasty wounds.

If they are too old the female willbe harassed by the local males and themales will be chased from the area.

Young animals are not a threat toadults as their hormones have notpeaked and they are given a largerwindow to acclimatise!

Note! weight is only a guide,knowing the age of your possum is moreimportant - you may have a possum thatis younger, but it may eat more thananother the same age.

Information sourced for thisarticle are: Sonya Stanvic's fabulouse-book Possums Juvenile to Adultavailable as a free download on ourwebsite. Caring for Possums byBarbara Smith. Husbandry Manualfor Brushtail Possums by Elissa NSmith. Thank you to everybody whosupplied photos for this article.




Suitable Brushtail Possum Housing

6 months approxstill lapping milk

outside covered area

Large cage undercover1400mm high x 1100mmwide x 600mm deep

7 months approxJuveniles - outside

aviary

Outside aviary (commercial)minimum size 2100mm high x 1800mm

wide x 2400mm deep

9 months approxSoft releaseFreedom!

Outside aviary (purposebuilt) Recommendedsize 2400mm high x

2400 wide x 4800 deep

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“My subject for this article happened by accident, it chose me, when amoment became a rare and wonderful find. When looking out my kitchen

window, my home located in the bush, I caught in my peripheral vision,movement and there they were, sitting on a branch all four birds, the family.Camouflaged so uncannily well, looking like tree branches. Two were quiteyoung, smaller in size and sitting between mum and dad. I ran to grab thecamera firstly, in case they flew away, (as at that stage I had no idea aboutthem, being the first sighting). I took lots of photos, videos and after I knew

they were staying put, produced some sketches, and spent time studying theirhabits, movements, the form of their feathers, faces, eyes and claws. Three

artworks were created using different mediums to explore how to best bringout the beauty of these amazing birds. Oil is a medium very suited to this

subject as it has sculptural qualities, being able to sculpt feathers, create formand build colour in layers. My favourite medium for the subject was Graphite

Pencil, so I could produce drawings with accurate detail. Amazingly, they stayed on the one branch for hours and the young kept

gaping at me through the window with their huge orange eyes, wonderingwhat was I doing? What was I? My own two human eyes looking at them,

along with the camera eye, capturing their every movement. Satisfied I hadenough information, I waited, going about my day and when dusk

approached, they sadly left to get busy with their hunting for food”. It was anexperience, a gift for me as it is a moment that will not come again soon, and

I am thankful.

Jacqui CleijneBiography

Jacqui Cleijne was born in Hobart Tasmania,Australia.

After leaving school studies in 1984, Jacquiwas employed as an Architectural

Draftsperson, where she gained herqualifications in Architectural Design &

Drafting.Returning to Tasmania in 1998 to be with

her family, she continued her work as adraftsperson and decided to pursue her

passion for Art. Painting was a hobby to startwith, although her work becoming more

popular, with commissions to keep busy, shedecided to put down the drafting tools and get

to work. Jacqui attended a short course in Art, Craftand Design at her local TAFE college, andstudied printmaking. Today painting is her

preferred medium, enjoying the challenges ofrealism.

Being self-taught, her experience has beengained through sketching regularly on

location and reading about techniques usedby many great artists. Her own style is

unique, and she paints her subjects withpassion and enthusiasm.

Her favourite subjects are Wildlife & Natureand the challenges that come with it.

Jacqui’s wildlife work in particular hascreated a lot of interest with galleries, locals

and overseas clients.

www.jacquicleijne.com.au

My husband and I decidedthat we would go and do avenomous snake rescue

course so we could be Snake Removersin our council area of Dorset here inTasmania. Reptile Rescue in NorthTasmania provide training days.

As all snakes are venomous inTasmania it was a bit scary. Wecontacted Reptile Rescue and we metIan Norton who is the owner of thesite www.snakehandlingequipment.com. He has createdspecially designed equipment with thewelfare of the animal in mind. He hada training day coming up and so webooked in.

Ian and Sally (his researchassistant) did an amazing training daywith us. We did our practical where wewere taught that the welfare of theanimal/snake needs to be our toppriority. They then trained us with aspecially designed pinner and tongswhich is being used by RSPCA andParks and Wildlife Rangers here inTasmania. We practised on bothcaptive venomous snakes and wildones which were a lot more aggressive.We left with our well-earnedcertificate in hand and feelingconfident that we too can rescue theseStephan Devos using the pinner to hold the tiger snake still.

Andrea DevosReptile rescue


http://www.snakehandling


venomous snakes and take them out ofharms way. We have since had thepleasure of removing venomous snakesin our area.

In Tasmania we only have threespecies of snake here – all arevenomous and all bites are treated withthe anti-venom of the Tiger Snake.We have the Tiger Snake (Notechisscutatus), the Lowland Copperhead(Austrelaps superbus), and the White-lipped Snake (Drysdalia coronoides).

We went for a holiday toQueensland and were thrilled to beable to rescue a Carpet Snake (NorthCoast Python) who was injured on theroad.

To date it has been a thrillingexperience and we invite others to takethe plunge and learn that snakes –even venomous ones – have the rightto live and be treated with respect.


IMPORTANT INFORMATIONThe Tasmanian government has announced that although they gave an

amnesty to turtles in Tasmania for a short period (you could hand in yourturtles in care as it is illegal in Tasmania to own or care for a turtle) – NOW

they say that they will euthanase any turtle found in Tasmania. Ian Norton owner of REPTILE RESCUE refuses to consider such actionand so has put his hand up and says he will send any turtles handed in to

him to the mainland and cover the costs of doing so himself. We salute you Ian Norton and Reptile Rescue.

If anyone has a turtle in care can you please contact Ian so he can providesafe passage for it back to the mainland. Phone: 0407 951 437. Stephan Devos using the pinner to hold the tiger snake still, but now taking the tongs to

gently grasp the tiger snake.



Stephan Devos lifting the tiger snake with the tongs – notice how the snake is graspedwithin the first third of its body , this prevents the head from being able to swivel aroundand bite him and also balances the weight of the snake so as not to injure the snake.

Here Stephan Devos is manouvering the bag under the tiger snake.



To ease the tiger snake into the bag, he lifts the bag to the snake, the snake goes in headfirst, it is dropped in so that the weight of the snake falls to the bottom of the bag, thisallows the bag to be rotated around so that the snake cannot escape. A tie or clip is puttightly around the twisted area to prevent the snake from escaping.

RaptorSnake HandlingEquipment

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This precision equipment ismanufactured to a high

standard in Tasmania, andsold internationally. Animalwelfare and security for theuser is a prerequisite of the

whole range.

www.snakehandlingequipment.comPhone 0407 951 437

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Pika was a troubled littleBrushtail Possum when wereceived her into care.

Troubled and confused. You see, Pikathought she was more human thanpossum, and she’d been sent to us toteach her her possum ways.

The start to Pika’s life was allupside down, inside out and round thewrong way. The lady who raised Pikafrom a tiny little pinky had the verybest of intentions, but unfortunatelydidn’t know how to raise a possum sothat it knew it was a possum.

Let me start at the beginning….Betty (let’s call her Betty!) was

strolling along in her local shoppingcentre when she saw a very bad ladyattempting to sell a tiny little pinkBrushtail Possum. She had thepossum in her handbag and wasshowing it off to interested people.Betty was incensed! This was no wayto treat a wild, native animal.

So, Betty marched on up to thelady (name not known) with herforbidden wares and demanded thatshe hand the possum joey over.Thankfully, the lady did so withoutfurther ado.

Betty took the little possum home,put her in a snug pouch, put her on acaption

Linda DennisPika the Brushtail Possum



heat pad and gave her a much longedfor bottle of milk. Pika had found hernew home…. for the time being,anyway.

Pika grew as a possum shouldgrow. She was cared for deeply, Bettyloved her little possum and thecompany she gave. But Betty had nofacilities, so Pika was raised inside thehouse. She had the full run of thehouse – she went anywhere, anytime.

While Pika was little, this was noreal problem to Betty. She kind ofliked having a little friend to share herhome. But as Pika grew – and herclaws got sharper – Betty realised thathaving a possum in ones home was notquite as nice as she had first thought.

And then Pika started scenting.You know how possums do - rubbingher chest over the lounge, the bed, theshoes beside the door – anything andeverything was marked as her own!And wee! She loved weeing oneverything too. What a naughty littleBrushtail Possum.

Betty realised that it was time forPika to be moved on. The trouble wasthat Pika was already nearly onekilogram in weight, possums should besoft released at this weight, not movedto an outside enclosure or on toanother carer. That should have beendone a long time prior.

But, Pika was given a secondchance. She was moved to a carer wholived out of town on a semi rural

block. Possum Heaven, for sure! Pikawas set up in an enclosure outside sothat she could get used to her newsurroundings, the sights and smells ofcountry living. Local possums couldalso get to know Pika and check herout before she was released into theirterritory.

Pika didn’t like her enclosure. Itwas so strange and wasn’t nearly ascomfortable as Betty’s home. Shebecame quite distressed, and adistressed possum often developsdermatitis. Pika had the skincondition over most of her body andfur started to fall out. The carerconsidered her options. Leave Pika inthe enclosure and hope that she getsused to it – release Pika early thanplanned – or euthanase her.

Euthanasia wasn’t an option. Pikadeserved a chance!

The enclosure door was openedand Pika was set free.

Luckily for Pika and the possumsthat lived around the property, they allgot on just famously! Her skin beganto clear up and there were no possum“incidents”…. but there were humanones.

Poor Pika Possum still thoughtshe was half human. Half human – shewas well on her way to realising whatshe was, but not quite there yet.

Pika loved visiting the neighbours.She was regularly found over the road,or down the street, visiting anybody



who would welcome her. It was fun allconcerned for a little while - Pika likedher night time visiting and the humansthat shared her territory liked it aswell. But over time the fun started tosour.

The last straw was when Pikafound a comfortable bed in theneighbour’s car, curled up on theneighbour’s jumper. He didn’t findPika until he was in town, at work, soPika was locked in the car, in the shadeunder a tree for the day until she couldbe returned home. She was OK, sheslept soundly all day, but her carer wasworried at the turn of events.

So, the thinking cap went on.What to do now? Again, the carerconsidered her options. What Pikaneeded was an experienced carer wholived in the middle of nowhere. Aplace where Pika could roam freelyand not find a stray human here orthere.

Enter into this story… me.I was contacted with the

proposition of taking on this possumanand making her fully possum. I’dcared for human-cross-kangaroos andhuman-cross-wombats before andsuccessfully returned them to the wild,so I knew I could convert this weeconfused critter to the critter she wasmeant to be – a happy and healthyBrushtail Possum. I also lived at theend of a five kilometre dirt road withthe nearest neighbours nearly a

kilometre away. The perfect spot for awayward possum.

So, Pika was given her third andfinal chance.

Pika came to me equipped withher own comfy bed. A lovely possumdrey that she had already learnt washome sweet home. We put her dreyinto my big wombat crate, added acouple of branches and some deliciousfood. Night one was spent in thecrate, getting used to her new homeand us.

Day two – Pika was allowed out ofher crate to roam the living room andstretch her legs. What fun! As withher first home at Betty’s place, Pikatook the time to make our home herown, scenting and weeing on anythingshe could. ERK! The joys of being awildlife carer!

For a few days we allowed Pikaout of the enclosure to play inside thehouse. Pika had to learn that we weresafety and to come to our call beforewe allowed her out into the big badwide world.

Finally the day came when Pikawas moved outside.

We set up Pika’s drey outside onthe verandah. We connected ropesfrom the enclosure up near theverandah roof to the railing and thenanother rope over to some trees a fewmetres away.

What fun! Pika loved swinging onthe rope leading to the verandah rails



but wasn’t fond of the rope going tothe trees at all.

For several weeks Pika lived withus. Every evening she would get herdinner treats (sweet potato and grapes)and then would disappear into thenight. By morning she was back in thesafety of her drey wanting somebreakfast treats too!

Pika had assimilated back into thewild really well, but was stilldependent on us while she figured outwhat kind of natural foods were outthere.

One evening we gave Pika a sliceof sweet potato, she edgily lookedaround and then Matrix style lungedinto the air, arms and legs splayed. Weabsolutely panicked, not knowing whatshe was trying to do but thinking shewas going to fall to her death (or atleast injury) to the ground. In slowmotion (it felt like!) Pika sailedthrough the air and then expertlygrabbed onto the rope leading to thetrees. She’d been doing it all along!!!Cheeky girl. She took off, with herprecious morsel, and disappeared intothe trees.

A few months after Pika came tous she moved out of home. Her dreyhad satisfied her for a while, but really,what do us humans know aboutmaking a proper possum drey? Wedon’t know where, but Pika obviouslymade a much better home thankyou-very-much somewhere out in the

forest. Our little girl had grown up!Months passed. Pika sometimes

comes back for a visit, more for asweet treat more than to see us! She islooking very healthy, has a wariness ofhumans and is foraging for her ownfood. A Perfect Possum Release.

So, I am a Possum Mummy. NowI just want to be a Possum Granny.I’m hoping that one day Pika willbring back her babies to show off.That would be the best reward everfor any wildlife rehabilitator!


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[email protected]

08 8391 1713

Possums & Glidersfood for

Juveniles• 2 stages of Possum Milk Replacer to reflect the

nutritional needs of different aged young

• Possum <0.8 for younger joeys not yet emerged from pouch, furless to fine fur; eyes closed to just opened; ears drooped.

• Possum >0.8 for older joeys emerging from pouch; short soft to dense long fur, eyes open; ears erect.

Adults• High Protein Supplement for omnivorous species

(eg Brushtails, Sugar Gliders) can be applied to fruit or plain biscuit to balance out protein, vitamins & minerals in the diet.

• Small Carnivore Food for insectivorous species, made as a moist crumbly mix.

• Lorikeet & Honeyeater Food for nectivorous species (eg gliders, pygmy possums) made up as a liquid nectar.






ROBINWINGRAVENatural History Artist

Sugar Glider Limited edition print

(Without matting) - $70.00Limited edition print(matted) - $90.00

A portfolio of finely detailed graphite pencil drawings or watercolour andoil paintings depicting the natural world of Australia.

Available for purchase direct from the [email protected]

03 6334 9261CLICK HERE to see more!www.robinwingrave.com


http://www.robinwingrave.com

Traditional Greeting Cards

C1094 twilight butterfly

C1115 Superb Fairy Wren

C1213 thank you butterfly

C0846 Splendid Wren

C1125 mystic owl

C1214 Susan’s owl

C0910 Aussie birds

C1162 exquisite dragonfly

C1219 Julie’s ladybeetles

C1017 Monarch butterfly

C1201 pretty butterflies

C1281 hummingbird

C1054 Moonglow butterfly C1055 rich oriental C1070 pretty owl

C1212 butterflies

C0835 Big Red

Support your local Wildlife andtheir Carers by purchasing these

beautiful Wildlife Cards(folded size = 115mm x 170mm).

All our cards are printed on high quality 290gsm card with a

UV gloss coating.

FreeDeliveryAustraliaWide

$150EACH

5 for $6.00

CLICK HERE TO ORDER TODAY!http://wildliferescuemagazine.com/greeting-cards.htmlSOLD OUT

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Order your business cards here and help support wildlife carers!Help support wildlife carers by ordering your business cards through Tas Wildlife Rescue

Business CardsPrinted single side – full colour

Laminated on front sideSquare or round corners

Artwork supplied*All prices include GST and freight to your door

1250 cards on 300gsm $551500 cards on 300gsm $651000 cards on 300gsm $752500 cards on 300gsm $1155000 cards on 300gsm $135

*Artwork specifications are available from [email protected]

Business CardsPrinted both sides – full colourLaminated on front side onlySquare or round corners

Artwork supplied*All prices include GST and freight to your door

1250 cards on 300gsm $601500 cards on 300gsm $701000 cards on 300gsm $852500 cards on 300gsm $1255000 cards on 300gsm $145

*Artwork specifications are available from [email protected]

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85c each or 10 postcards for only $8.00Postage paid within AustraliaPayment accepted via PayPal

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A tale of two fences What can you do?

www.fauna.org.au

Doing some fencing?Make it wildlife friendly!

Tolga Bat Hospital

In the cityLouise lives in the city near a park and found a glider caught on a barbed wire security fence. She worked with the Council to find a solution. The Council replaced the barbed wire with plain wire and planted more trees near the fence to shorten the gliding distance.

In the countryGeoff, who lives on a rural property with cattle, found a flying-fox caught on his barbed wire fence. The bat had come to feed on a nearby native shrub.

Geoff decided to keep the shrub as it was an important feed tree for various animals. He covered the top two strands of barbed wire near the shrub with polypipe painted white.

Glider membranes are extremely vulnerable

to barbed wire

http://www.fauna.org.au

www.wildlifefriendlyfencing.com

These densely woven nets protect your fruit and prevent entanglement of wildlife

Helpful hints Leading the waySome hardware stores in Australia have taken the lead and stopped selling netting that is potentially harmful to wildlife. Ask your local supplier to stock only fruit tree netting that passes the ‘finger test’ - netting that you cannot poke your finger through.

For more informationVisit www.wildlifefriendlyfencing.com and look for the link to the netting page. Get up-to-date information including instructional videos showing how to net your trees in a wildlife friendly way.

Protect your garden fruit in a wildlife friendly way!

Tolga Bat Hospital Harvesting with no net loss

Go online to watch our instructional videos showing how to build these two wildlife friendly stuctures, and more...

prune and harvest

Fruit Saver nets have an access flap for this

tree or to the ground to prevent wildlife getting inside

new growth

www.fauna.org.au to find a wildlife carer in your area.

http://www.wildlifefriendlyfencing.com

http://www.fauna.org.au



We have some more training sessions scheduled so please read the info below!

If you haven’t done so already please book in for one of the sessions so you can startactively getting involved in the program.

The training sessions are run so that our FOC members learn everything to do withwildlife rescue and transportation and how to make a rescue kit. You MUST attend onetraining session before you can help out with animal rescues. This is for your own safetyand the safety of the animals that you are rescuing. We need as many of you trained aspossible to get the program working even more effectively so please try hard to find asession that suits you and book in.

Every month we have training sessions. (Please note – training sessions are all the sameso you are only required to attend one.)

Contact bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary for next training sessions - phone: 03 6268 1184.

The training sessions run for approximately 2 hours 15 minutes and there is no costinvolved. Please bring along a note pad, pen and warm clothes! (This is if you arecoming to an evening session, it can be chilly at Bonorong!)

All sessions are run at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary in the ‘Bush Tucker Shed’, oroccasionally we run a session at UTAS usually in the Life Sciences Lecture Theatre inSandy Bay. If the course you book in for is at Bonorong then when you arrive atBonorong please park your car in the top car park (not the first one you get to) as far upas possible. The building at the top end of this car park is the bush tucker shed andthere is an access door at the back of the building that people will be able to use whenthey arrive. If you choose a UTAS course then you will be given directions about oneweek before the date once we have confirmed what room we will be using.

Please RSVP for a training session via return email or by phoning Bonorong on 62681184. Children are welcome and you may bring along interested family members orfriends as long as you include them in your RSVP.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.

We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Visit us at 593 Briggs Road, Brighton, Tasmania 7030

ADVERTISEMENT

Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary

Wildlife RescueTraining Sessions

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OOaakkvviieewwNNaattuurree RReeffuuggee

TTeeaattss

A wide range of stainless steelmoulds and latex teats available.

Email me for the complete rangeand price list.

All items in stock and ready to ship to you today.

Email Anne-Marie [email protected]

Winner!Congratulations to the winner of the Readers’ Choice Story -

Hannah Marco won with her great story and pics "Shelby - Pouch Reconstruction".

Your prize is the book set "The Wombat Who Talked to the Stars"provided to you by the author Jill Morris and Greater Glider Productions.

Australian Birdand Wildlife Art

by Janet Flinn

Wildlife Artist, Janet Flinn, paints the colour and character of the Australian birds that visither garden and nearby bushland in Glen Waverley, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

The paintings feature Kookaburras, Parrots, Cockatoos, Fairy-wrens, Robins, Raptors andOwls. Studio visits for viewing paintings are welcome by appointment. Art work may also

be purchased online or commissioned.

Email [email protected] 03 9560 5003




Fauna First AidThe Program

Fauna First Aid is a wildlife lectureprogram that Linda established in

2004. The lectures are aimed at wildlifecarers, veterinary nurse students,schools and community groups.

Fourth Crossing Wildlife is incrediblyproud to announce that the AustralianGeographic Society supports Fauna

First Aid.

Linda could not be more honoured toreceive this support and thanks the

Australian Geographic Society from thebottom of her heart. The support,

donations and sponsorship from theAustralian Geographic Society will help

Linda teach the public – adults andchildren alike – how to correctly handlenative animals that have been injured or

are in distress which will help preventthe animal and the handler from being

injured during contact.

If you are interested in learning moreabout the Fauna First Aid lectures,or would like to book a session then

please email Linda [email protected].

What to do with a Wiggling WombatLinda Dennis is proud to present the two hour course, What to do with a

Wiggling Wombat, a Fauna First Aid lecture.

There are two sessions of "Wiggling Wombat", one for pre-schoolers and onedirected at children in infants and primary school.

Although titled "Wiggling Wombat" the course covers all native animalsincluding birds, kangaroos, reptiles, koalas and of course wombats!

The course includes the following topics:• What do you do if you come across a wiggling wombat in distress?

• How does your mum or dad pick up a wiggling wombat?• What do you feed a wiggling wombat?

In the fun filled program Linda shares stories of some of the native animals that have been in her care over the 10 years

she's been a wildlife carer.

There was also a "take a wild guess" competition using photographs and thewonderful native animal soft toys that were donated to the program by theAustralian Geographic Society and Mink Plush (a Division of TomFoolery

Holdings Pty Ltd).

Bookmarks featuring native animals, and chocolate Freddo Frogs, CaramelloKoalas and Fruity Frogs are given as prizes.

During the competition Linda also displayes how to properly handle a nativeanimal so that the handler and the animal are not injured. She also adviseswhat the "nasty bits" are in each animal species, such as claws and teeth

(and in the male Platypus’ case – the poisonous spurs!).

The two hour long presentation has the kids transfixed and keen to learnmore. An eight page booklet titled "What to do with a Wiggling Wombat" is

also eagerly received.

This mini-manual, which details correct handling technique, is distributed toall students for them to take home and share with their families.

The Fauna First Aid program is not only fun for participants but alsoeducational and in the long run our precious native animals will benefit from

Linda's knowledge sharing.

The more the community knows about rescuing and providing short termcare for native animals the better. And in the end, from a combined

community effort, there will be more animals that are received into care andrehabilitated by experienced wildlife carers, resulting in more animals being

returned to the bush… which is exactly where they belong.

If you would like to book a Fauna First Aid session for your school orcommunity group please contact Linda at

[email protected].

The inaugural "Wiggling Wombat" at Trinity Preschool in Orange, NSW

Class photo at Trinity Preschool

Class K12 group photo, Gum Flat Public School

Fourth Crossing Wildlife is supported and sponsored by the Wildlife Preservation Society of Australia - they do a lot to support my work




Support our sponsors

Janet FlinnWildlife Artist

www.janetflinn.com

1300 544 249www.outdoorcameras.com.au

SouthernWildlife

www.southernwildlife.org

Oakview Nature RefugeSilicon Teats - Order [email protected]

Tolga Bat HospitalAtherton Tablelands Queensland

www.tolgabathospital.org

TrowunnaWildlife Park

www.trowunna.com.au 03 6363 6162

Bonorong Wildlife Park03 62681184

www.bonorong.com.au

F.O.C. Bonorong Sanctuary'sFriends of Carers Program

03 6268 1184www.bonorong.com.au

Elizabeth CogleyAustralian Wildlife Artist

0409 935 135 [email protected]

rocklilywombats

Burston Blue [email protected]

aum.onorono

www.fourthcrossingwildlife.com

La Trobe Wildlife Sanctuary

03 9479 [email protected]

www.MelHillsWildArt.com.au

03 6334 9261www.robinwingrave.com

ROBIN WINGRAVENatural History Artist

Click the website URL in anysponsor’s classified listing to

be taken directly to thatsponsor’s website for more

information!

www.everythingwildlife.com.au

Jacqui Cleijnewww.ozarkwild.org

RaptorSnake Handling Equipment

www.snakehandlingequipment.comPhone 0407 951 437

ReptileRescue

UOVISIONAUSTRALIAwww.UOVISION.com.au

1300 305 559


www.wildlifefriendlynetting.com

www.jacquicleijne.com.au


http://www.jacquicleijne.com.au

http://www.janetflinn.com


http://www.MelHillsWildArt.com.au


http://www.outdoorcameras.com.au

http://www.ozarkwild.org

http://www.robinwingrave.com

http://www.snakehandlingequipment.com

http://www.southernwildlife.org

http://www.tolgabathospital.org

http://www.trowunna.com.au

http://www.bonorong.com.au



http://www.wildart.com


http://www.fourthcrossingwildlife.com

http://www.bonorong.com.au

http://www.UOVISION.com.au

http://www.wildlifefriendlyfencing.com


http://www.rocklilywombats.com


www.wombaroo.com.au

We invite you to support us with your wildlife stories –

send them to me [email protected]

Advertise with us today – your ad islinked directly to your website –people can access you directly.Reach thousands of people.

Please emailme for advertising rates:

[email protected]

From all of us here at Wildlife RescueMagazine we say goodbye and thankyou for reading the fifth issue of ourexciting new wildlife magazine!

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issue 5a wildlife rescue magazine

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