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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 47(2)

A modern stocktake of ‘a not-so-common possum’: recent and unpublished records of the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) in arid north-west Western Australia

Hannah Anderson A B * , Judy Dunlop https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4842-0672 C D , Jeff Turpin E F , Mike Bamford G , Christopher George Knuckey B , Morgan O’Connell B , Glen Gaikhorst H , Melissa A. Jensen F I , Alicia Whittington A and Russell Palmer A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, WA, Australia.

B Biologic Environmental Survey, 24–26 Wickham Street, East Perth, WA 6004, Australia.

C School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.

D School of Agriculture and Environment, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia.

E School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, 2351, Australia.

F Collections and Research, Western Australian Museum, Welshpool, WA 6106, Australia.

G School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia.

H GHD Pty Ltd, Perth Office, 999 Hay Street, Perth, WA, Australia.

I Stantec Australia, 226 Adelaide Terrace, Perth, WA 6000, Australia.

* Correspondence to: hannahanderson003@gmail.com

Handling Editor: Ross Goldingay

Australian Mammalogy 47, AM24049 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM24049
Submitted: 1 December 2024  Accepted: 5 April 2025  Published: 6 May 2025

© 2025 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of the Australian Mammal Society.

Abstract

The common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) is a medium-sized marsupial that was formerly widespread across Australia, but has suffered extensive declines in its range and population size, with significant loss in semi-arid/arid areas. In the northern semi-arid/arid areas in Western Australia (WA), little is known about the density and distribution of brushtail possum populations. Here, we report on modern and unpublished records of brushtail possums in north-west WA, focusing on the Pilbara region. Records were sourced from various agencies and online sources. Prior to this study, only 13 records from the mainland Pilbara Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation of Australia (IBRA) bioregion were publicly available. We uncovered 47 additional independent records, with 35 records since 2000, indicating that brushtail possums are persisting in low densities in the Pilbara bioregion. Most Pilbara possum records we found were located in riverine and rocky environments, correlating to environments that include caves and large Eucalyptus sp. The capture of these data fills an important information gap that will now be available in public data repositories. We recommend that targeted surveys and follow-up monitoring be conducted in northern WA to determine whether brushtail possums are declining in this region, as has been found elsewhere in northern and central Australia.

Keywords: arid, common species, data-deficient species, koomal, marsupial, Pilbara, possum, semi-arid.

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