This series of card depicting Australian native fauna is a great release by Australia Post. There are 4 cards in the series with each one depicting a different native wildlife baby and its parent. They all have been postmarked for the first day of release at Gumly Gumly in New South Wales on 1st July 2009. This one bears the $2.90 postage stamp which is also a philatelic must have. A delightful set of maximum cards with brilliant photography. Like the 1978 book ‘Possum Magic’ by Mem Fox this card is truly magic. They make for wonderful overseas communication with foreign friends and at the same time are desirable collectibles.
The Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula, from the Greek for “furry tailed” and the Latin for “little fox”, also known as Phalangista vulpina) is a nocturnal, semi-arborealmarsupial of the family Phalangeridae, it is native to Australia, and the largest of the possums. Like most possums, the Common Brushtail is nocturnal. It is mainly a folivore, but has been known to eat small mammals such as rats. In most Australian habitats, leaves of Eucalyptus are a significant part of the diet but rarely the sole item eaten. The tail is prehensile and naked on its lower underside. There are four colour variations: Silver Grey, Brown, Black and Gold. Possums are quadrupedaldiprotodont marsupials with long tails. The smallest possum, indeed the smallest diprotodont marsupial, is the Little Pygmy Possum with an adult head-body length of 70mm and a weight of 10g. The largest is the Bear Cuscus that may exceed 7 kg. Possums are typically nocturnal and at least partially arboreal. The various species inhabit most vegetated habitats and a few species have adjusted well to urban settings. Diets range from generalist herbivores or omnivores (the Common Brushtail possum) to specialist browsers of eucalyptus (Greater Glider),insectivores (Mountain Pygmy Possum) and nectar-feeders (Honey Possum).
