Western ringtail possum

About

A cat-sized, nocturnal marsupial endemic to a narrow strip of south-western Australia, now restricted to the Swan Coastal Plain, the Southern Forests around Manjimup, and the south coast between Walpole and Cheynes Beach. Known to the Noongar people as ngwayir, it has suffered severe decline from land clearing, climate-driven heat stress, and predation.

How to spot it

Dark grey-brown to black fur with light patches behind the ears and a creamy underside, stocky body, and a long prehensile tail with a whitish tip used for climbing. Almost entirely arboreal - look up into peppermint (Agonis flexuosa) groves and eucalypt canopy at night rather than on the ground, where it forages for leaves and flowers.

Found in

• Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park
• Yalgorup National Park
• Walpole-Nornalup National Park