Facts

Leadbeater's Possum - Photo: J.P. Ferrero

Status

Leadbeater’s Possum is listed under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 as threatened.

The IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Animals 1994 lists Leadbeater’s Possum as endangered.

Leadbeater’s Possum is the Victorian State Mammal Emblem.

Threats to Survival

Logging of the Mountain Ash forests in the Central Highlands for woodchips (paper production) has resulted in the loss of vast areas of Leadbeater’s Possum habitat.

The fragmentation of suitable habitat by timber harvesting causes isolated small populations of animals, who are then unable to reach other colonies for breeding.

Stochastic events, such as bushfires, disease, drought (climate change) and collapsing old habitat trees are also threatening processes for Leadbeater’s Possum.

History

1867 First specimens were collected at Bass River in Victoria

1909 Last sighting of LBP in the wild – declared extinct in 1950’s

1961 Eric Wilkinson rediscovered LBP at Tommy’s Bend in Central Highlands

1973 LBP’s were first bred in captivity by naturalist Des Hackett

2006 Death of the last Leadbeater’s Possum in captivity in Australia

2009 Bushfires destroy more than 40% of LBP habitat and population numbers in the wild are halved to an estimated 1000 individuals.

2010 Kasia passes away peacefully in her sleep at just over 10 years of age. She was the last captive Leadbeater’s Possum anywhere in the world. There is no captive breeding program for this species and none planned for the future.

Lake Mountain Leadbeater's Possum habitat burnt in the 2009 bushfires
Lake Mountain Leadbeater’s Possum habitat burnt in the 2009 bushfires (Pam Miskin)

Following the February 2009 bushfires in the Central Highlands, Leadbeater’s Possum is in serious decline. Over 45% of their known territory was destroyed by the intense fires and estimates put the numbers of animals at less than 1,000 animals remaining. There is a relatively stable population of approximately 80 Leadbeater’s Possums living in the Yellingbo State Nature Reserve together with the other Victorian Faunal Emblem, the Helmeted Honeyeater.

Kasia in Toronto Zoo

Kasia in Toronto Zoo (Brent Huffman)

“Kasia” was a 10yr old female Leadbeater’s Possum living at Toronto Zoo until 2010 and was the last Leadbeater’s Possum in captivity anywhere in the world. Her parents were born at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria and were sent to Canada to establish a captive breeding program. In her last years Kasia was not on display at the zoo but was held in an enclosure on her own and off display.

During 2010 FLBP and Parks Victoria are arranging to have Kasia taxidermied and returned to Victoria for display and educational use by FLBP and Parks Victoria members.

 

Kasia

Kasia (Brent Huffman)

Taxonomy

Common name: Leadbeater’s Possum

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class:Mammalia

Order: Diprotodontia

Family: Petauridae

Genus: Gymnobelideus

Species: leadbeateri

 

Gymnobelideus: from Greek language : gymno – naked; belideus – dart, arrow.

leadbeateri: in honour of John Leadbeater (1831-88), a taxidermist, who preserved the first LBP specimens at the Museum of Victoria.

 

Leadbeater’s Possum is a nocturnal, small arboreal (tree dwelling), omnivorous (eats animals and plants) marsupial (mammal which gives birth to tiny underdeveloped joeys, which usually grow in the mother’s pouch).

 

Body length: 150 - 170 mm

Tail length: 145 - 165 mm

Weight: 100 - 165 g

 

Colour: Grey to greyish-brown above and paler below. Has a dark mid-dorsal (along centre of back) stripe.

Appearance: Similar to a Sugar Glider, but without a patagium (gliding membrane) and has a long club-shaped tail.

Diet: Exudates (saps and gums) from wattle and eucalypt manna (sweet secretion of leaves & branches); honeydew (droplets of sugary liquid produced when insects pierce leaves) secretions; and a variety of arthropods (an invertebrate with jointed legs) crickets, beetles, flies, moths, ants and spiders.

 

lbp-at-night-climbing-down-tree

 

Life history

  • Leadbeater’s possums live in colonies – up to 12 animals
  • Only one pair per colony will breed
  • Matriarchal society (female dominated)
  • Territory is 1.5 – 3 hectares and is well defended
  • Breeding can occur twice a year (spring/summer & autumn/winter)
  • Up to 2 joeys in a litter
  • Females can breed again in one season if the first litter dies
  • Life span in the wild is only about 5 years, but up to 13.5 in captivity
Juvenile Leadbeater's Possum
Juvenile Leadbeater’s Possum (David Lindenmayer)

Important forest features in the habitat for Leadbeater’s Possums

  • Number of hollow trees available for nesting
  • Amount and type of wattle trees in the surrounding understorey
  • Amount of trees with bark strips
  • Number of shrubs in the surrounding understorey
  • Slope of the site
Silver Wattle & Mountain Ash at Cambarville
Silver Wattle & Mountain Ash at Cambarville (Pam Miskin)

Structure of Leadbeater’s habitat in Mt Ash forests

Some of the major plants of the regrowth Central Highlands forests inhabited by Leadbeater’s Possum:

Overstorey plantsShorter trees, shrubs and tree ferns
Mountain AshMusk Daisy Bush
Alpine AshHazel Pomaderris
Shining GumMountain Correa
Silver WattleDogwood
Mountain Hickory WattleStinkwood
Forest Wattle Victorian Christmas Bush
BlackwoodAustral Mulberry
Myrtle BeechRough Tree Fern
SassafrasSoft Tree Fern
Leadbeater's Possum use shredded bark for their nests.

Leadbeater's Possum use shredded bark for their nests. (Shire of Yarra Ranges)