the probably most successful group of the Australian marsupials is the Kusus of the type Trichosurus.
Shape These 32-58 cm big animals are widespread. Many types have short legs and seem penetrated. Big eyes point out nightly way of life. The moderate-sized, triangular ears are only thinly hairy. The long, bushy tail is trained as gripping-organ. its underside is bare at the top and carries a gripping-callus. The fur of the Kusus is dense, soft and cozy. One finds all transitions in the coloring between cream, brown and black. They limbs carry 5 toes each, that are fortified all with long, powerful claws besides the big-toes of the rear-feet.
Way of life Kusus are tree-animals, frequently descends on the ground, however. they eat leaves, bark, young instincts and occasionally also eggs and squabs. They oversleep the day in a hiding place and emerge only at night. Therefore they are to only rarely be seen although they are very frequent and widespread. They are superior in its adaptability in new environment-conditions to most Beutler and are comparable with the also very successful opossum America. One finds it also in parks and gardens of cities. they even live in semi-desert-areas. Where they lack tree-caves as shelter, they live in attics of summerhouses and barns or abandoned animal-constructions. As they were abandoned on New Zealand by 1900, they multiplied so strongly that they turned into the nuisance.
Reproduction After a Tragzeit of 17 days, 1 young were usually born. It leaves the bag 4-5 months after it and one can still around-carry approximately 1 months on the mother's back. With 15-18 months, Kusus are sexually mature. they gain a maximum-age of 12-13 years.
Spread Kusus are Australia, Tasmania and the bass-street-islands spread with 2 types, the Fuchskusu (Trichosurus vulpecula) and the Hundskusu (Trichosurus caninus), over almost whole.
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