Foods of the Australian Brush-tailed Opossum (trichosurus Vulpecula) in an Exotic Forest

Foods of the Australian Brush-tailed opossum, Trichosurus vulpecula, were identified from stomach contents of 360 opossums collected from May 1975 to May 1976 in Ashley State Forest, Canterbury, New Zealand. Plant species eaten were identified with the aid of reference cuticles prepared from known plant species collected from the study area. Thirty different foods were identified, but only seven were eaten extensively. These were broom (Cytisus scoparius) leaves and flowers, blackberry (Rubus fructicosus) leaves and fruit, Pinus radiata pollen cones, gorse (Ulex europaeus) flowers, and grasses. The opossums showed seasonal preferences for certain food species. Pine pollen was preferred during late winter and spring, blackberry leaves during summer, and grasses and seeds during autumn. Broom leaves formed a large proportion of the diet in all seasons. Huhu beetles (Prionoplus reticularis) and nematoceran larvae were also eaten. There was no evidence in Ashley Forest of opossums causing economic damage to the pine trees.