Photo credit: Andrew Mercer
Possums are small marsupials with thick, bushy tails. They prey on invertebrates and native birds and can be a carrier for bovine TB.
Description
- Weighs between 1.4-5kg and can be grey, brown or black in colour.
- Habitats include forests, shrublands, pastures, orchards, and urban areas.
What you need to know
Preys on invertebrates and native bird eggs and chicks and competes for cavities with cavity-nesting birds. Selective browsing on vegetation can eliminate preferred species, causing altered forest composition and canopy collapse of palatable species. Can act as a vector for bovine TB and compete with livestock for pasture.
Management approach
This is a declared pest managed under the Canterbury Regional Management Plan 2018 – 2038 (PDF file, 10.6MB) within a site-led programme.
Site led
Exclude, eradicate, contain, reduce or control a pest within a specific place to the extent that doing so protects the values of that place.
Possums are managed within the designated site led area of Banks Peninsula by Pest Free Banks Peninsula. Visit their website for more information.
Possums that occur outside site led areas designated under the Canterbury Regional Pest Management Plan 2018 – 2038 are a land occupier's responsibility and are to be managed via a community led approach.
Control
For information to control possums, visit the Predator Free NZ Trust website.