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Open
Daily
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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Striped Possum |
| Scientific Name: |
Dactylopsila trivirgata |
| Range: |
Northeastern Australia and New Guinea |
| Habitat: |
Rainforest |
| Natural Diet: |
Insects, mice, leaves, fruits, birds, and small mammals |
| Zoo Diet: |
Mealworms, crickets, fruit, and nectar liquid |
Physical
Characteristics: |
The body of a striped possum averages only 9 ½ to 11
inches in length , but their bushy, black tail may be a foot or more
long. Their slender body weighs less than a pound. |
| Behavior: |
These agile creatures come out at night and are hard to
find in the wild. The possums swing quickly through trees and rarely
come down to the ground. They like to sleep curled up in a leafy nest
inside a tree hollow.
Striped possums use their front teeth to strip away tree bark. Inside
the bark, possums find larvae to eat. They use a long finger and very
long tongue to pick up their food. Striped possums are messy eaters.
They slurp up food, chew loudly, and shower crumbs everywhere. |
| Reproduction: |
Mothers have one to two young at a time. The babies are
born in a highly underdeveloped state, then they move to the mother’s
pouch. |
| Notes: |
At the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo, you can see a striped
possum in the Australia After Dark exhibit. |
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