Gazumped ?

We recently recorded some lovely images of a house-hunting Common Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) inspecting a nest-box near Strath Creek, but apparently reserving judgement on its suitability – see video below.

A few days later, another potential tenant, a Brush-tailed Phascogale (Phascogale tapoatafa) was recorded at the same box, and this time seemed to find it to its liking. It seemed particularly impressed with the view, spending a considerable period staring out from the front entrance (a sequence shortened in the following video because of lack of action!).

This once again shows that there is a  demand for housing among our arboreal mammals, and that nest-boxes can provide an acceptable substitute when natural tree hollows are lacking.