Displaying items by tag: ringtail possum

Good insulation in a tree hollow or a well ventilated drey provides better protection than a nest box on a hot December day. Sleeping outside to stay cool is always dangerous.

The male wasn't very active and obvious through midsummer though he had up to two or more females at a time around in the spring. This is possibly his second/last chance: the season finishes soon; maybe Valentine's Day is the big day.

Mr Bowerbird perches proudly above his toy car collection (about 2 m from his bower)

Mrs is not so impressed and thinks he needs some upmarket models – maybe a toy Lamborghini?

I found it difficult to get a good description of an actual nest, either on-line or in bird books, but the WIRES site says the female alone builds and lays in a nest 10 to 15 m up in a tree, and raises the young, while the male goes on and courts other females in his bower. I'll scan the trees for a nest next time I'm out there.

I think one can be sure that this ‘female’ is truly a female, but a young male's colouring is apparently similar and it only turns satin blue-black at 5 to 7 years old, so if you see a stray ‘female’ around, as you often do, then it could easily be a young of either sex.

I'm always blown away by the violet-coloured eye, particularly against the green background of the female, though these pictures don't do it justice.

I think Mrs is tidying up while Mr wants to add even more blue plastic and make an even bigger display (mess?)