brushtail possum

English

Alternative forms

• brush-tailed possum

Etymology

From brush + tail (originally tailed) + possum. See brushtail.

Noun

brushtail possum (plural brushtail possums)

1. Any nocturnal, arboreal, Australian possums of the genus Trichosurus, having furred tails with a naked tip.
   • 1985, Peter Carey, Illywhacker, Faber & Faber, published 2003, page 56:

     The southerly caught the tree and tipped it. It fell with a crash, pinning a large brush-tailed possum to the ground.

   • 1999, Julia Leigh, The Hunter, Faber & Faber 2012, p. 67:

     A brush-tailed possum wanders close, and with his rifle scope he traces its outline […] .

   • 2005, Hugh Tyndale-Biscoe, Life of Marsupials, page 229:

     There are 22 species in the family, the commonest being the brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula (Fig. 7.5d, Plates 12 and 13), in Australia and the northern common cuscus, Phalanger orientalis, in New Guinea.

Synonyms

• brushtail

Derived terms

• northern brushtail possum

Translations

Trichosurus vulpecula

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 刷尾負鼠／刷尾负鼠 (shuāwěi fùshǔ)

• Finnish: kettukusu (fi)
• French: phalanger-renard m, phalanger vulpin m
• Gamilaraay: mudhay
• Maori: paihamu
• Russian: кузу́ m (kuzú), щёткохво́ст m (ščotkoxvóst), щёткохво́стый поссум m (ščotkoxvóstyj possum), кистехво́стый куску́с m (kistexvóstyj kuskús)
• Spanish: please add this translation if you can
• Swedish: pungräv c