Common Brushtail
Common BrushtailCommon BrushtailCommon BrushtailCommon Brushtail

Common Brushtail

Trichosurus vulpecula

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic
20–30% · Possible
overall probability at Blue Mountains National Park
117 Verified records at Blue Mountains National Park
May Best month highest sighting rate
🌅 Crepuscular When it's active at dawn and dusk

The common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula, from the Greek for "furry tailed" and the Latin for "little fox", previously in the genus Phalangista) is a nocturnal, semiarboreal marsupial of the family Phalangeridae, native to Australia and invasive in New Zealand, and the second-largest of the Australasian possums. Like most possums, the common brushtail possum is nocturnal. It is mainly a folivore, but has been known to eat small mammals such as rats. In most Australian habitats, eucalyptus leaves are a significant part of the diet, but rarely the sole item eaten. Its tail is prehensile and naked on its lower underside. The four colour variations are silver-grey, brown, black, and gold. Wikipedia →

20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Common Brushtail sighting in Blue Mountains National Park, based on 117 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Blue Mountains National Park

Mountain Brushtail Possum
LC Endemic

Mountain Brushtail Possum

🌙 Nocturnal Mammal

Trichosurus cunninghami

Insufficient data
Eastern Grey Kangaroo
LC Endemic

Eastern Grey Kangaroo

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Macropus giganteus

30–40% · Possible
Common Wombat
LC Endemic

Common Wombat

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Vombatus ursinus

20–30% · Possible
Swamp Wallaby
LC Endemic

Swamp Wallaby

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Wallabia bicolor

20–30% · Possible
Common Ringtail Possum
LC Endemic

Common Ringtail Possum

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Pseudocheirus peregrinus

20–30% · Possible
Red-necked Wallaby
LC Endemic

Red-necked Wallaby

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Notamacropus rufogriseus

20–30% · Possible
Wallaroo

Wallaroo

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Macropus robustus

10–20% · With luck
Greater Glider
EN Endemic

Greater Glider

🌙 Nocturnal Mammal

Petauroides volans

10–20% · With luck
Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby
VU Endemic

Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby

☀️🌙 Day & Night Mammal

Petrogale penicillata

5–10% · With luck
Koala
VU Endemic

Koala

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Phascolarctos cinereus

5–10% · With luck
Sugar Glider
LC Endemic

Sugar Glider

🌙 Nocturnal Mammal

Petaurus breviceps

5–10% · With luck
Eastern Pygmy Possum
LC

Eastern Pygmy Possum

🌙 Nocturnal Mammal

Cercartetus nanus

5–10% · With luck

📅 Monthly Probability

10–20
Jan
20–30
Feb
30–40
Mar
20–30
Apr
30–40
May
30–40
Jun
10–20
Jul
20–30
Aug
10–20
Sep
20–30
Oct
20–30
Nov
10–20
Dec

🌅 When They're Spotted

Most active at dawn and dusk · across all parks (global)

🌅Crepuscular
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
50–60%
2 Booderee National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
40–50%
3 Maria Island National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
40–50%
4 Wilsons Promontory National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
40–50%
5 Aoraki Mount Cook National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
30–40%
6 Flinders Ranges National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
30–40%
7 Tongariro National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
30–40%
8 Freycinet National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
30–40%
9 Kosciuszko National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
30–40%
10 Arthur's Pass National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
30–40%
11 Rakiura National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
20–30%
12 Blue Mountains National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
20–30%
13 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
20–30%
14 Grampians National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
10–20%
15 Fiordland National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
10–20%
16 Kakadu National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
10–20%
17 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
10–20%
18 Lamington National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
10–20%
19 Abel Tasman National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
10–20%
20 Springbrook National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
10–20%
21 Nitmiluk National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
22 Litchfield National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
23 Daintree National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Common Brushtail in Blue Mountains National Park?

About 23% of wildlife watchers report a Common Brushtail sighting in Blue Mountains National Park, based on 117 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Common Brushtail in Blue Mountains National Park?

May has the highest sighting rate for Common Brushtail in Blue Mountains National Park in our monthly data.

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