Brushtail Possums in GURPS

Trichosurus sp.

Brushtail possums are common in Australia and nearby islands and have been introduced to New Guinea, where they have become a pest. They eat mainly leaves but also flowers, shoots, seeds, fruit, eggs, and small animals. These possums are solitary, arboreal, and nocturnal. They den in tree hollows and caves, and will sometimes invade people's attics for their home. When this happens, they can be a nuissance with their noise, bumping around, and fouling their environment with their waste. Possums often use phone and power lines for above-ground walkways; occasionally they cause power outages by shorting out power lines (for obvious reasons, the possum does not survive this).

If disturbed, a brushtail possum will stand on its hind legs with its hands held up, ready to defend itself with teeth and claws. When pressed, it will defend itself vigorously with claws and teeth. Beligerant or fighting brushtail possums will make a lot of noise, with deep snarling, buzzing barks and grunts - since they are often beligerant or fighting, people who live near possums come to expect hearing weird noises at night.

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