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.
- 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 (Brent Huffman)
“Kasia” is a 10yr old female Leadbeater’s Possum living at Toronto Zoo and is the last Leadbeater’s Possum in captivity anywhere in the world. Her parents were born at Healesville Sanctuary and were sent to Canada to establish a captive breeding program. Kasia is not on display at the zoo but is held in an enclosure on her own and off display.
UPDATE: On 15th January 2010, Kasia passed away peacefully in her sleep at just over 10 years of age. FLBP and Parks Victoria are currently arranging to have Kasia taxidermied and returned to Victoria for display and educational use by FLBP and Parks Victoria members.
Kasia 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.
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.
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 (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 (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 plants Shorter trees, shrubs & tree ferns
Mountain Ash Musk Daisy Bush
Alpine Ash Hazel Pomaderris
Shining Gum Mountain Correa
Understorey plants Dogwood
Silver Wattle Stinkwood
Mountain Hickory Wattle Victorian Christmas Bush
Forest Wattle Austral Mulberry
Blackwood Rough Tree Fern
Myrtle Beech Soft Tree Fern
Sassafras
Leadbeater's Possum use shredded bark for their nests. (Shire of Yarra Ranges)