Phalangeriformes

Phalangeriformes is a suborder of Australasian marsupials that includes possums and gliding possums. Its members range from small nocturnal gliders to larger, mostly arboreal species.

Marsupial: A mammal whose young are born at an early stage of development and typically continue developing while attached to a teat. Phalangeriformes belongs to this major mammal group.
Common brushtail possum: A widespread Australian possum with a bushy tail, adaptable diet, and frequent use of urban habitats. It is a familiar, adaptable example of a non-gliding possum.
Possum management in New Zealand: The control of introduced brushtail possums in New Zealand to reduce ecological damage and disease transmission. Introduced possums became major pests in New Zealand forests and livestock landscapes.
Phascolarctidae: The marsupial family containing the koala, its sole living species. The koala is often called a possum but is not a phalangeriform.
Diprotodontia: An order of Australian and nearby Pacific marsupials characterized by distinctive lower incisors and syndactylous hind feet. Phalangeriformes is classified within this broader marsupial order.
Common ringtail possum: An Australian possum with a prehensile tail, often living in family groups and building leafy dreys. Its social behavior and nest-building contrast with many solitary possums.
Brushtail possum in New Zealand: The introduced population of common brushtail possums in New Zealand, established from Australian animals. This population illustrates how a Phalangeriformes species can become invasive outside its native range.
Pseudocheiridae: A family of Australasian possums that includes ringtail possums and greater gliders. Its members are phalangeriforms despite their distinct family-level classification.
Possum: A common name for several Australasian marsupials, especially members of Phalangeriformes. Possums make up the familiar core of the suborder.
Sugar glider: A small nocturnal marsupial that glides between trees using a membrane extending from wrist to ankle. It exemplifies the suborder’s specialized aerial locomotion.

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