Greetings,
I have added Mammals Aus to this thread as some there may find it of
interest. Those coming late to this topic may want to read the emails below
about the feeding habits of ringtail possums.

With regards to handling wild Green Ringtails it is true that they do not
bite. However they will try to get away and one may be scratched in the
process. The fur is incredibly thick. the first time I held one it just
walked out of my grip. I had to add another two layers of pressure before
the animal was constrained. The yellow or caramel hairs are just that colour
on the tips. They are also a little longer than the other hairs, twisted and
somewhat reflective. This adds to their green appearance. Some animals look
more green than others and young ones generally appear the most green.

They eat a lot of fig leaves and during the 2001 -2002 drought started to
eat the green fruit of Ficus copiousa at the site where I do my nocturnal
tours. The trees were almost leafless from water stress but went into fruit
anyway. Other fruit they ate were unripe and nasty in some way for most
frugivores: Euroschinus falcata and Brachychiton acerifolius. Now they have
moved on to eating the ripefruit of this fig as well and on Wednesday night
I saw for the first time, two eating the ripe fruit of Ficus leptoclada. The
leaves of this species are a particular favourite.

Regards,
Alan
----- Original Message -----
From: "Syd Curtis"

>
> As it is not immediately apparent from the context of Alan's posting
> below,
> may I point out that my reference to a possum eating stinger leaves, was
> to
> the common ringtail, Pseudocheirus peregrinus, widespread down eastern
> Australia to Tasmania and also S W Western Australia.
>
> Alan's Green Ringtail, P. archeri, for those not familiar with our possum
> fauna, is something very special indeed. Confined to a relatively small
> region of north Queensland. It really does look green - as a result of a
> mixture of grey, black, yellow and white hairs.
>
> It does not hide away during the day as do other possums - mostly just
> curls
> up in a ball on a bare branch.
>
> I was told by a scientist working on N Q possums some 40 years ago, that
> the
> Green Ringtail is the most docile of all. Freshly trapped in the wild, it
> can be handled quite easily. I never had the experience myself.
>
> The Aus. Museum's mammal book says the Green Possum eats (among other
> things), the leaves of several species of fig trees, and "is the only only
> possum known to eat them". But according to O'Reilly's (tourist resort
> people in Lamington N P) the common ringtail is very fond of the stalks of
> fig leaves. And certainly it is a common sight in Lamington NP to see
> the
> ground under a fig tree littered with fresh leaves all with the stalk
> missing. Comment anyone?
>
> Syd
>
>
>
>
>
>> From: "Alan Gillanders" <alan@...>
>> Reply-To: "Alan Gillanders" <alan@...>
>> Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2007 09:32:02 +1000
>> To: "Syd Curtis" <sydc@...>, "Evan Beaver"
>> <evcricket@...>,
>> "Greg" <gclancy@...>
>> Cc: "BIRDING-AUS" <birding-aus@...>
>> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Ringtail calls
>>
>> Syd wrote:-
>>> BTW, I was once asked by a zoologist friend who had been out
>>> spotlighting,
>>> to go with him and witness (lest he be disbelieved) a ringtail dining
>>> happily on the leaves of a young Giant Stinging Tree (Dendrocnide
>>> excelsa).
>>
>> the Green Ringtail is virtually silent and has a particular appetite for
>> Dendrocnide photinophylla, the shiny leaved or Mulberry leaved Stinging
>> Tree. D. moroides which is the nastiest of this group in Australia (and
>> yes
>> I've been stung by them all except the rare one from Cape York) is rarely
>> eaten. The exception to this is if the dry season has been severe and
>> then
>> we get a few storms. D. moroides is one of the first plants to respond
>> with
>> new growth. The Green Ringtails then come to the ground, even during the
>> day, to feed on these shrubs.
>>
>> Below the signature is an extract from one of my newsletters if people
>> wish
>> to read more about the stinging trees.
>> Regards,
>> Alan