‘Secretive, adorable weirdos’: rare possum caught in the Northern Territory for first time

A scaly-tailed possum caught at Bullo River Station in the Northern Territory is the most easterly record of the species in Australia. Photograph: C Nest/Australian Wildlife Conservancy

A rare scaly-tailed possum has been caught in the Northern Territory for the first time in what scientists say is a sign that private land conservation is having a positive effect.

The scaly-tailed possum, also known as the Wyulda, is a rock-dwelling marsupial with stout limbs and a “grippy” tail it uses to hang from branches and rock ledges to reach for seeds, fruits and flowers.