Common Ringtail Possum
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The Common Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus, Greek for "false hand" and Latin for "pilgrim" or "alien") is an Australian marsupial. The Common Ringtail is a nocturnal herbivore, around the size of a cat. It has a grey fur coat with white patches behind the eyes and on the belly, and orange-brown tinges on the tail and limbs. It has a long prehensile tail and their back feet are syndactyl which helps it to climb.
The Common Ringtail Possum eats a variety of leaves of both native and introduced plants, as well as flowers and fruits. This possum also eats its own feces to extract the maximum amount of nutrients from their food.
References
- Australasian Marsupial & Monotreme Specialist Group (1996). [Pseudocheirus peregrinus]. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006.
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