Brush-Tailed Possum

[Mad Aussie]

These guys are a common visitor to many Australian homes, often setting up their own home in your roof cavity or shed.
They are a marsupial and although considered a pest by many, I love em.

I got this last night in pitch blackness near my home. He's about 15 metres up the tree.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7193/6973800755_76f621d307_o.jpg

[XPWizard]

Cute little guy, nice detail.

[celksy]

Nice shot - like the framing. Not quite sure I'd use the word 'cute' though :) Dang, that's a long tail.

[kmunroe]

very nice

[Iguanasan]

Awwwww, what a cute little fellow.

[Hugo]

I've never seen one in real life. I would stay away from them. Looking at the picture I wonder how come the background is so blurry? What is the focal length on the lens, and how far were you?

[Mad Aussie]

Actually they are cute and quite friendly when used to humans. I have some other shots around the forum of some we were feeding in a camp ground. Try to grab a wild one not used to humans and you'll get your arms and face scratched off though.

Focal length was 380mm (100-400mm Canon L) from around 15 metres away. My wife used our very bright LED bike light to light him up so I could focus ... then my Speedlite 580 did the rest.

[Doug L]

[QUOTE=These guys are a common visitor to many Australian homes, often setting up their own home in your roof cavity or shed.[/QUOTE]

I wonder, does that make it sort of like an Australian raccoon? :) I agree with the others who thought it very cute and impressive tail.

[Mad Aussie]

Maybe, maybe not there Doug.

In New Zealand the Australian Possum has become a HUGE pest. I've seen as many as 20 of them in surrounding trees from a single porch on a farmhouse. Over there they've come up with what they call colloquially as 'New Zealand Mink' .... a blend of Merino Wool and Possum Fur that yields an amazingly soft and warm fabric.
In NZ there guys are considered total pests and as an introduced species are destructive to the native wildlife.