Editing Common brushtail possum (section)

===Range and habitat===
{{see also|Common brushtail possum in New Zealand}}

The common brushtail possum is one of the most widespread marsupials of Australia. It is found throughout the eastern and northern parts of the continent, as well as some western regions,<ref name="DPAW2005" /><ref name="Abbott-2012" /> Tasmania<ref name="TasGov" /> and a number of offshore islands, such as [[Kangaroo Island]]<ref name="SAGov" /> and [[Barrow Island (Western Australia)|Barrow Island]].<ref name="Chevron" /><ref name="PerthNow" /> [[Western Australia]] alone has several scattered population groups locally distinguished with given indigenous names: ''nunguin'' in [[Kimberley (Western Australia)|Kimberley]], ''walambari'' in [[Pilbara]], ''wayurta'' in the desert areas, and ''bilda'' in [[Nullarbor Plain]] shared with [[South Australia]] among many others.<ref name="Abbott-2012" />

It is also widespread in New Zealand since its introduction in 1850. The common brushtail possum can be found in a variety of habitats, such as forests, semi-arid areas and even cultivated or urban areas.<ref name="Nowak1991" /><ref name="Cronin2008" /> It is mostly a forest inhabiting species, however it is also found in treeless areas.<ref name="Cronin2008" /> In New Zealand, possums favour broadleaf-podocarp near farmland pastures.<ref name="Efford2000" /> In [[Nothofagus|southern beech]] forests and pine plantations, possums are less common.<ref name="Efford2000" /> Overall, brushtail possums are more densely populated in New Zealand than in their native Australia.<ref name="Tyndale2005" /> This may be because Australia has more fragmented [[eucalypt]] forests and more predators. In Australia, brushtail possums are threatened by humans, [[tiger quoll]]s, [[dog]]s, [[fox]]es,<ref name="Abbott-2012" /> [[cat]]s, [[goanna]]s, [[Morelia spilota|carpet snakes]], and [[powerful owl]]s. In New Zealand, brushtail possums are threatened only by humans and cats.<ref name="Tyndale2005" /> The IUCN highlight the population trend in Australia as decreasing.

The northern subspecies of the common brushtail possum has declined substantially, with one study in Australia's Northern Territory finding a 22% reduction in the extent of occurrence of and a 50% reduction in the breadth of occupied environmental space.<ref name="von Takach-2020">{{Cite journal |last1=von Takach |first1=Brenton |last2=Scheele |first2=Ben C. |last3=Moore |first3=Harry |last4=Murphy |first4=Brett P. |last5=Banks |first5=Sam C. |date=2020 |editor-first= |title=Patterns of niche contraction identify vital refuge areas for declining mammals |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ddi.13145 |journal=Diversity and Distributions |language=en |volume=26 |issue=11 |pages=1467–1482 |doi=10.1111/ddi.13145 |bibcode=2020DivDi..26.1467V |issn=1366-9516|hdl=1885/286535 |s2cid=221758373 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> Analysis of contemporary occurrence points suggested that the species is contracting towards areas of higher rainfall, lower fire frequency, and higher vegetation cover.<ref name="von Takach-2020" /> Little is known about the distribution of the species in the Pilbara.<ref name="abc 2025-05-14">{{cite news |last1=Adams |first1=Mietta |title=Scientists surprised to find possums in WA's Pilbara region |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-14/pilbara-possum-discovery-surprises-scientists/105290378 |access-date=15 May 2025 |work=ABC News |date=14 May 2025 |language=en-AU}}</ref> However, a paper published in the mid-2020s announced a discovery that the populations in the Pilbara, and in the Mid-West of Western Australia where the species is almost extinct, were genetically closer to the subspecies found on the east coast and South Australia, and the now presumed extinct Central Australian subspecies, than those in the South West of Western Australia.<ref name="abc 2025-05-14"/><ref name="abc 2023-06-13">{{cite news |last1=McManus |first1=Sam |title=Study of brushtail possum population differences could help halt species' decline in parts of WA |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-13/brushtail-possums-population-decline-extinction-study-wa-museum/102462162 |access-date=15 May 2025 |work=ABC News |date=13 June 2023 |language=en-AU}}</ref>