Husbandry and breeding of the Striped possumDactylopsila trivirgataat London ZSL

Abstract

Detailed information on either wild or captive Striped possums Dactylopsila trivirgata (Gray, 1858) is sparse. In 1996 a number of specimens became available to the European Monotreme and Marsupial Taxon Advisory Group (TAG), which recommended that the animals should be distributed to three zoos (London ZSL, Poznan Zoo and Berlin Zoologischer Garten) so that a management and breeding protocol could be developed in case this fairly common species becomes threatened in the future. London ZSL acquired 3.3 Striped possums to establish a founder captive population and two joeys were born, one in April 1999 and the other in March 2000. This article charts the husbandry protocols, breeding behaviour and infant development for Striped possums in captivity.