What is "brushtail possum"

n. A nocturnal, arboreal, Australian possum, (taxlink Trichosurus vulpecula species noshow=1), that has a furred tail with a naked tip.

The brushtail possums are the members of the genus Trichosurus in the Phalangeridae, a family of marsupials. They are unique among marsupials for having shifted the hypaxial muscles from the epipubic to the pelvis, much like in placental muscles, meaning that their breathing cycle is more similar to the latter than to that of other non- eutherian mammals. In general, they are more terrestrial oriented than other possums, and in some ways might parallel primates.

It contains the following species:

• Northern brushtail possum, Trichosurus arnhemensis
• Short-eared possum, Trichosurus caninus
• Mountain brushtail possum, Trichosurus cunninghami
• Coppery brushtail possum, Trichosurus johnstonii
• Common brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula