A full moon rode high in the sky this morning, as it did last evening when I strolled in the dark past the golf course and then alongside Bowen Road, looking and listening for nightlife. I spotted a common ringtail possum in a tree decked out with large, pink, pom-pom blossoms, and then realized that a black flying fox hung from the tree’s top branch. Round the block, an unwary common brushtail possum sat up on its haunches on the curbside grass, checking me out as curiously as I observed it.
On my return to the house, I curled up with The Mammals of Australia and learned that the common ringtail possum is one of only a few marsupials that can digest eucalyptus leaves, and that it also feeds on flowers and fruits1 and has a particular liking for rosebuds.2 It uses its prehensile tail to cling to branches while it climbs, and also to carry nest materials.2 There have been times in my life when I’ve thought I’d enjoy having a tail, and a prehensile one would certainly be useful. The common brushtail possum can also digest gum leaves, and fruits and flowers are a necessary part of its diet, if it is to breed successfully in drier regions.3 The significantly furrier tail of the brushtail possum is less prehensile than that of the ringtail possum,3 and the brushtail is, rather to my surprise, most commonly found in cities.4 It also lives in woodlands and open forests,4 such as those beside Fortescue Bay and Richardson’s Beach in Tasmania, where Vilis and I saw a good number of them.
Blue Tiger (© Magi Nams)
After a week of observing where and when the sun shines in various of the garden beds in our yard, I planted my wee Aussie garden today. This morning, while a blue tiger and other butterflies splashed the yard with flitting colour, I tucked the bedding plants into three beds where the weeds had grown very well prior to my pulling them out. This afternoon, I planted seeds where I hope they will receive enough sunlight. My horticultural attempt may end up a fruitless endeavour, but gardening is always a game of chance. I just hope that when the ten-foot, dead palm leaves fall to the ground with resounding thuds – as they frequently have to date – they miss my tomatoes.
References:
1. G.M. McKay and P. Ong. Common Ringtail Possum. In: Ronald Strahan, editor. The Mammals of Australia. 1995. Reed New Holland, Sydney. p255; 2. Ibid, p. 254.
3. R.A. How and J.A. Kerle. Common Brushtail Possum. In: Ronald Strahan, editor. The Mammals of Australia. 1995. Reed New Holland, Sydney. p. 274; 4. Ibid, p.273.
