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| EnchantedLearning.com More Mammal Printouts |
EnchantedLearning.com Ringtail Possum |
Animal Printouts Label Me! Printouts |
Most ringtail possum species are solitary, but the common ringtail, Pseudocheirus peregrinus, congregates in small, temporary groups of 2 to 3 adults.
Anatomy: The ringtail possum is about 6 to 18 inches (16 - 46 cm) long, plus a tail equally as long. It weighs up to 3 pounds (1.5 kg). The woolly fur is brown to gray with a paler belly. The prehensile (grasping) tail is hairless at the tip. It has two opposable fingers (of five) on its hands.
The Pouch: Females are pregnant for about 4 months. After birth, the two tiny newborns crawl into the pouch, where they will drink milk, remaining in the pouch for about 2 months. After leaving the pouch, they still ride on their mother's back until they mature.
Diet: The ringtail possum is an herbivore (a plant eater) that eats leaves, fruit, and flowers in the trees at night. The common ringtail has adapted to eating toxic eucalyptus leaves; it can detoxify the poisons in this plant.
Classification: Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Class Mammalia, Subclass Metatheria (marsupials), Order Marsupialia (marsupials), Family Petauridae, Genus Pseudocheirus, Species peregrinus.
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