Whether they are brush-tailed or ring-tailed, Australian possums are busy at work when we are sound asleep.

At night they forage for food (such as leaves, flowers and fruits), collect bedding materials to maintain their hollows or dreys, and mark their territories through scent and droppings.

From April to November, possums are also searching for a mate or caring for dependent joeys during their breeding season. All the while, they endeavour to evade natural predators such owls and snakes, as well as introduced predators like stray cats and foxes.

Of the two most common possum species in eastern Australia, the Common Brushtail Possum is more likely to make its presence known at night while you are trying to sleep, pitter-pattering on your roof or balcony accompanied by an occasionally loud, raucous growl or hiss.

The Common Ringtail Possum on the other hand is significantly quieter and much less likely to be noticed. They typically weigh 3 or 4 times less than brushtail possums making them much quieter on foot. When communicating they emit soft, bird-like chirrups, twitters, and very faint squeaks.

During the day possums are even harder to spot as they spend their time resting in a secure dwelling – with Common Ringtail Possums most likely to be sheltering in dreys they construct from sticks and leaves, natural tree hollows or cavities, or sometimes even using the right-sized nook in a built structure.