Proceedings of the New Zealand Ecological Society (1973) 20: 48- 52

Diet of the opossum (Trichosurus vulpecula Kerr) on farmland north-east of Waverley, New Zealand.

Research Article
Alice E. Harvie  
  1. Ecology Division, DSIR, Lower Hutt.
Abstract: 

On farmland near Waverley, New Zealand, 550 opossums (Trichosurus vulpecula) were shot between October 1968 and November 1969, and their stomach contents were analysed to find the ratio of pasture species to non-pasture species eaten. Pasture species (grass and clover) formed about 30 percent of their diet. The economic loss to the farmer, where opossums are numerous, could be considerable