TRAUMATIC INJURIES OCCURRING IN POSSUMS AND GLIDERS IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS, NEW-SOUTH-WALES

Twenty common brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula), 23 ringtail p ossums (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) and five sugar gliders (Petaurus bre viceps) from the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia were evalu ated for traumatic injuries between 1989 and 1990. Ten brushtail possu ms and five ringtail possums were hit by motor vehicles with injuries primarily to the anterior of the body. Fifteen ringtail possums and al l sugar gliders were attacked by cats. Four brushtail possums were att acked by dogs. The remaining nine possums had evidence of intraspecifi c fighting (n = 2) or other types of trauma. Brushtail and ringtail po ssums were presented primarily during their main breeding seasons. The re was no sex predilection. More ringtail than brushtail possums were subadults and these were injured primarily at the time of dispersal.