Trichosurus caninus
Silhouette: Gavin Prideaux · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
The short-eared possum (Trichosurus caninus) is a species of marsupial in the family Phalangeridae, endemic to Australia. Found north of Sydney, New South Wales, on Australia's eastern coast, the species was once classed under the mountain brushtail possum, its closest relative.
In the wild, they can live for up to 17 years (possibly longer in captivity), maintain a stable territory, and invest significant energy and time rearing their young. Short-eared possums are most commonly found along the southeastern coast of the Australian continent, where they reside in wet rainforests and humid, dense thickets. Wikipedia →
Agonistic call1:10
Australia · 2026
© Marc Anderson · XC1104549 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Recording0:58
Australia · 2023
© Dr Pamela Muggeridge · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0
Recording0:25
Australia · 2025
© kateboyd · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisbane | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Short-eared Possum sighting in Springbrook National Park on a given day, based on 135 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 4th most-seen of the 22 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April and November
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Short-eared Possum in Springbrook National Park on a given day, against about 20% in September, the lowest month.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Short-eared Possum sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Short-eared Possum sightings, Springbrook National Park ranks 2nd at about 40%. The best odds are in Lamington National Park (Australia, about 50%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Short-eared Possum is recorded against all the mammals logged in Springbrook National Park (135 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
