Elected representatives in government are in charge of the policy and funding that can make or break saving threatened species. Their decisions and actions matter.

Perth has or used to have 12 threatened animals within its boundaries. One of them is me, the Western Ringtail Possum.

We took care to attach appropriate images that are as close to representative of each species as our resources and the availability of images allowed. However, we could not ensure perfect accuracy in every case. Some images show species that share the same genus but not at the species or subspecies level.

Western Ringtail Possum

Pseudocheirus occidentalis

Status: Critically Endangered

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) lists threatened species under six categories:
Extinct, Extinct in the wild, Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, Conservation dependent. Read more about these categories

Pseudocheirus occidentalis is found across 11 electorates.

The western ringtail possum is a nocturnal species that roams through the trees at night, feeding on leaves of eucalypt, marri and peppermint trees and other fruits and flowers. It differs from the more frequently seen common brushtail possum by being smaller in size and an exclusive herbivore, whereas brushtail possums will eat small mammals. It has a long, thin tail with a white tip that helps it to move through the trees and carry nesting material. It is only found in the south-west of Western Australia and can thrive in urban gardens that have suitable food trees planted and are free from roaming predators, such as cats.¹

Explore more about this species on the Atlas of Living Australia

Adverse fire regimes