Australian possums are a diverse group ranging from gliding possums to climbing possums.

Ringtail Possum

There are several different types of ringtail possum. These include common, western, green, rock, lemuroid, Daintree River, and Herbert River ringtail possums. Ringtail possums live in rainforests and coastal temperate deciduous forests throughout New Guinea, Tasmania, eastern and southwestern Australia. Most of the species is solitary but the common ringtail is known to gather in small groups. They are nest builders and, like their name suggest, they have a prehensile tail. Ringtails are generally greyish brown to reddish brown with a cream underbelly and, usually, a white patch behind the ears. Their tails have a distinctive cream to white tip and there is a long friction pad on the underside of the tail. Their ears are round and they have bulging eyes. They prefer to eat new foliage tips of gums, tea trees, she-oak, bottle brushes, and wattles. Also eat native fruits and flowers, feeding at night. The common ringtail only eats eucalyptus leaves.

Brushtail Possum

The brushtail possum is the most familiar of Australia's possums and are found in most areas where there are open forests and woodlands. It has also adapted to urban areas, particularly between the ceiling and roof of homes. Its colour ranges from dark brown to silver grey on the back and cream to pale grey underneath. It has long oval ears and a big bushy brown-black tail. It mainly feeds on leaves, especially eucalypt, and native fruits, buds, and bark. Also known to rummage in gardens and rubbish bins. Varieties include the common, mountain, and scaly-tailed brushtail possums.

Eastern Pygmy Possum

There are five types of pygmy possums - mountain, eastern, little, western, and long-tailed. Pygmy possums are nocturnal and rest during the day in spherical nests of shredded bark. They use their grasping claws to climb. They are found in a range of habitats, from rainforest to woodland and heath, where they feed on nectar and pollen. During the warmer seasons they accumulate body fat and in winter they become torpid. Torpor is when they curl up in a tight ball, covering eyes with its ears and nose tucked into chest. Body temperature drops to the same level as the air and it conserves energy.

Honey Possum

The honey possum is a tiny possum that lives in southwest Western Australia where it feeds only on nectar and pollen. The body length of the honey possum is only 6-8cm and they live in pairs or small groups.

Sugar Glider

One of a number of gliding possums which include mahogany, Leadbeater's, squirrel, yellow-bellied, and striped. The sugar glider was named by early bushmen who discovered they liked sweet things like honey or sugar and that they can glide between trees. They feed nocturnally on the gum and sap of acacias and eucalypts as well as insects. They are silvery blue grey in colour with a dark stripe down their back and their tails are bushy and as long as their bodies which helps them to stabilise and steer when gliding. They are found where there is a lot of rainfall in wet and dry forests and woodland, especially where there is acacia gums. These possums also go into a torpor when food is scarce.

Feathertail Glider

This is the world's smallest gliding animal measuring about 160mm from head to the tip of their tail and weighing only about 13g. They are mouse-sized animals with a grey-brown back, white belly, and feather-like tail. The feathertail glider is found in tall forests and woodlands throughout eastern and southeastern mainland Australia. This possum feeds on nectar, pollen, and insects.

Cuscus

There are two kinds of cuscus, the spotted cuscus and the grey cuscus. The spotted cuscus is found in New Guinea and the tip of Cape York in Australia. It is a nocturnal animal that feeds on arboreal insects, fruits, and leaves, but in captivity is is also known to eat meat and eggs. It lives in lowland tropical rainforests and adjacent mangroves, nesting in hollow trees and clumps of vegetation. This is a large animal with strikingly patterned fur and a prehensile tail.