Common Ringtail Possum (mobbed by birds)

Description:

The common ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus, Greek for "false hand" and Latin for "pilgrim" or "alien") is an Australian marsupial. It lives in a variety of habitats and eats a variety of leaves of both native and introduced plants, as well as flowers and fruits. This possum also consumes a special type of faeces that is produced during the daytime when it is resting in a nest. This behaviour is called coprophagia and is similar to that seen in rabbits.

Habitat:

Ranges on the east coast of Australia, as well as Tasmania and a part of southwestern Australia. They generally live in temperate and tropical environments and are rare in drier environments. Ringtail possums prefer forests of dense brush, particularly eucalyptus forests, but this one was spotted in my neighbour's yard. They are common in urban areas.

Notes:

This ringtail is a female, and in the fifth photo you can see the joey and/or the pouch. She was being pursued by an army of Noisy Miners (Manorina melanocephala) that, I assume, had flushed her out from her daytime nest. Or perhaps she was disturbed by crows, or even a snake. Regardless, the miners were now in charge. Looking rather bewildered, she finally scampered across the power lines and onto the roof, and then headed for the nearest trees. I could hear all the commotion from the miners and crows, but had no idea what was happening until my neighbour ran to the animals rescue. It is very unusual to see ringtails during daylight hours, let alone with an entourage.