Are possums protected in Tasmania?
Brushtail possums are protected under the Wildlife (General) Regulations 2010 of the Nature Conservation Act 2002. Under Schedule 4 of the Wildlife (General) Regulations 2010 brushtail possums are classified as partly protected wildlife throughout Tasmania, including offshore islands.
Are possums a protected species in Australia?
Possums are protected under the Wildlife Act 1975. It is illegal to harass or interfere with possums. However, common brushtail possums living within buildings, municipal parks and municipal gardens may be controlled.
Are possum traps legal in Tasmania?
Wallabies and possums are protected in Tasmania under the Wildlife Regulations 1999 of the Nature Conservation Act 2002. Permits can be obtained by phoning the Wildlife Management Branch (contact details at end of this document). Trapping activities may only be conducted on land used for primary production.
Can you eat possums in Australia?
Brushtail possums are found throughout Tasmania and though they may be cute and fluffy, they can be a real pest for farmers as they’ll eat just about anything you don’t want them to. All species of possum are protected in Tasmania and it is illegal to shoot them without a culling license.
What possums live in Tasmania?
Scientific names:
- Common ringtail possum – Pseudocheirus peregrinus.
- Sugar glider – Petaurus breviceps (introduced)
- Brushtail possum – Trichosurus vulpecula.
- Eastern pygmy possum – Cercartetus nanus.
- Little pygmy possum – Cercartetus lepidus.
What do possums eat in Tasmania?
A brush-tailed possum’s diet is mainly plant-based i.e. leaves, fresh gum tips and flowers, however they also occasionally eat insects, eggs and meat. An open compost bin in a backyard becomes an enticing smorgasbord for a hungry urban possum.
What eats possums in Australia?
This may be because Australia has more fragmented eucalypt forests and more predators. In Australia, brushtail possums are threatened by humans, tiger quolls, dogs, foxes, cats, goannas, carpet snakes, and powerful owls.
Where are possums found in Australia?
Common Brushtail Possums are found in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia and Northern Territory.
How do you transport possums?
Possums can be transported in a hessian or calico bag. Do not use lighter materials as possums can tear them easily. Always turn the bag inside out so the animal doesn’t get tangled or catch its claws on seams. Possums can also be transported in a secure, well-ventilated pet pack or box.
What do you do with a feral cat in Tasmania?
In Tasmania, the Cat Management Act 2009 allows primary producers, and people working on their behalf, to trap, seize or humanely destroy any cat found on rural land where livestock are grazed. On other private land that is more than 1 km from a place of residence, a person can trap, seize or humanely destroy a cat.
Can humans eat possum?
They are a delicacy for most people in the Southern States of America, Australia, African and Asian countries. Possums are not something that you eat daily but do make amazing treats for special occasions. They require tip-top cleaning and are edible in a ton of ways.
Can you buy possum meat in Australia?
Legally caught possums and wallabies can already be sold as game meat in Tasmania. Wallaby is said to taste like kangaroo, only “milder”, but possum has proved harder to describe, earning the qualified approval of one Tasmanian producer who said it was “quite a different meat.”
How many species of possums are there in Tasmania?
Indeed, some old-timers still refer to these animals as opossums and Opossum Bay, an outer suburb of Hobart, takes its name from the misnomer. Tasmania is home to five species of possum. They are:
How did the Australian possum get its name?
The fine details of the relationships between the possums is still unclear and no doubt new findings will result in changes to their classification. The Australian possums were so named because of their supposed similarity to the opossums of South America.
What kind of animal is a brushtail possum?
The possums are divided into three major families: the ringtail possums and gliders (Family Petauridae); the brushtail possums and cuscuses (Family Phalangeridae) and the pygmy-possums and feathertail glider (Family Burramyidae).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVaIP2lLU5A