possum was introduced into New Zealand in 1837 to establish a fur trade. There are two general colour forms, grey and black, although each of these varies greatly. While possums feed mainly on leaves, they are also known to take: buds and flowers fruits ferns bark fungi invertebrates native birds and eggs land snails carrion Description The possum has a thick, bushy tail, a pointed snout and long, fox-like tapering ears. Size and weight of possums varies greatly across New Zealand. Adult possums are typically between 65 and 95cm in length, and can weigh anywhere between 1.4 and 6.4kg.