The common ringtail possum prefers to feed on eucalyptus leaves and has the densest populations in areas where these trees are found. However, ringtail possums will also eat flowers, fruits, and leaves from other tree and shrub species lower in the rain forest canopy. When foraging, ringtail possums prefer young leaves. No leftovers for them—ringtail possums like only the freshest food!
The mother ringtail has a pouch that is well developed with a forward opening and four nipples, but usually only the posterior pair is functional. Each newborn ringtail attaches to a nipple for 42 to 49 days and continues to stay in the pouch until about four months old. The usual litter is two, but one baby is common, and three and four in a litter have been recorded.
Young ringtails are first able to vocalize and open their eyes between three and four months of age. They leave their mother’s pouch at four to five months old. However, she usually continues to nurse her young until six to seven months after birth. While the mother is eating, the father carries the young on his back and cares for them. Both sexes become sexually mature at about one year.
