ORPHANED TRIPLETS: These tiny ring-tailed possums are being cared for by the RSPCA after they were found with their dead mother on Sunday. Picture: Darren England. Source: The Courier-Mail
THESE little ringtail possum triplets are a rare breed because usually they're born in pairs.
They were taken from their mum who was found dead in the front yard of a home at Shailer Park on Brisbane's southwest on Sunday night.
RSPCA veterinarian Bonny Cumming said the mum could be a victim of rat poison or could have been hit by a car.
Staff are now trying to locate who found them for details as it could help with their treatment.
"They weigh 80g each and are 3.5 months old," she said. "They'll be in care for about 10 months before they are released back into the wild.
"At this age, they start coming out of the pouch for a look but are still far too young to be on the mum's back. It'd be a bit crowded in there with three this size."
Dr Cumming said a lot of wildlife was killed by rat bait, which should be placed in cages or enclosures where wildlife could not get to it.
Ringtail possums build a drey or leafy nest in trees or shrubs as opposed to brushtail possums who use hollows or houses.
Brushtail possums have just one young.
Possums are a great food source for animals including owls, goannas and snakes.
Unfortunately, they also fall to cats and dogs left to roam at night.
