Possum coloring pages: 20+ free printable PDF designs featuring multiple Australian possum species, including the brushtail possum, mountain pygmy possum, feathertail glider, and cuscus, alongside baby possum, hanging poses, a cartoon reading page, and an outline. Every page is free to download as a PDF or color in the browser, with no account required.
Possums are Australian marsupials, distinct from the American opossum. The set features several species, each with a different body shape, coat pattern, and habitat. The brushtail possum is the most widely recognized, found across Australia and New Zealand, including in urban areas. The mountain pygmy possum and the feathertail glider are among the most remarkable small mammals on the continent.
These pages suit children interested in Australian wildlife, and educators looking for a multi-species set that covers real marsupial diversity.
The coloring challenge unique to this set: five possum species across 20 pages each require a different palette. Getting the spotted cuscus, tiny feathertail, grey brushtail, and round mountain pygmy looking distinct from each other is the central task.
Quick Answer
Possum coloring pages are a free set of 20+ printable PDFs and browser-based coloring sheets featuring multiple Australian possum species across realistic, cartoon, and outline formats.
Best for: Children aged 4 and up, fans of Australian wildlife, classrooms exploring marsupials or nocturnal animals, and anyone interested in small mammal diversity
Formats: printable PDF and online coloring
Popular pages: cute brushtail possum, possum hanging upside down, feathertail glider, mountain pygmy possum, and baby possum
Creative uses: a multi-species possum display, an Australian wildlife study, a size comparison display, and a possum habitat set
What’s Inside Possum Coloring Pages
The set is organized around the species and poses present across the 20 pages, covering both familiar and less commonly illustrated possum types.
Brushtail Possum Pages
The brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) is the most widely known Australian possum, recognizable by its pointed face, large ears, and thick bushy tail. Several pages in the set feature the brushtail in various contexts: a cute brushtail possum, a possum on a tree, a possum hanging upside down from a branch, a hanging possum, and a realistic possum.
Coloring the brushtail possum: the brushtail’s coat is typically a silver-grey or brownish-grey, darker along the back and slightly paler on the underside. The tail is notably dense and dark, ranging from dark grey to black. The face is pale grey with a dark nose and large, prominent ears lined with lighter fur inside. The eyes are large and round, reflecting the animal’s nocturnal adaptation. A warm pink-grey for the inner ear and nose against the cooler grey of the body gives the brushtail its recognizable warm-cool contrast.
Hanging and tree poses: the hanging upside-down page is one of the most distinctive in the set. Possums hang by their prehensile tails, and the inverted composition gives this page a different visual rhythm than standard portrait pages. On this page, the tail grip is the structural anchor of the composition, and treating the tail’s coiling hold with attention to how it wraps around the branch gives the page its physical logic.
Mountain Pygmy Possum
One page features the mountain pygmy possum (Burramys parvus), a small, round marsupial found only in the alpine and subalpine zones of southeastern Australia.
Coloring the mountain pygmy possum: the mountain pygmy possum is much smaller and rounder than the brushtail, with a compact body, shorter ears, and a long, thin tail. Its coat is a warm grey-brown on the back and pale cream or white on the underside. The small size and rounded form make this page the most compact portrait in the set. Keeping the body warm brown-grey rather than cool grey distinguishes it from the brushtail pages.
Feathertail Glider
One page features the feathertail glider (Acrobates pygmaeus), the smallest gliding mammal in the world.
Coloring the feathertail glider: the feathertail glider is tiny, weighing around 12 grams, with a grey-brown body and the defining feature of a distinctive tail lined with horizontal feather-like bristles on each side, resembling a flight feather. The gliding membrane between the front and back legs is visible in gliding poses. The coloring approach is delicate: a fine-detail treatment on the tail bristles, a pale underside contrasting with the grey-brown back, and very small, bright eyes appropriate to a nocturnal animal of this scale.
Possum Cuscus
One page features the possum cuscus, likely a spotted cuscus (Spilocuscus maculatus), found in northeastern Queensland, Australia, and across New Guinea.
Coloring the cuscus: the spotted cuscus is visually the most dramatically different possum in the set. Males typically have a white coat with orange or rust-colored spots or patches across the back and sides. Females are generally more uniform brown-grey. The cuscus also has distinctive bright red or orange eyes, which are unusual and vivid. On the cuscus page, the spotted or patchy coat pattern and the vivid eye color make it the most colorful page in the set by a significant margin.
Baby Possum and Cartoon Pages
Three pages cover younger or stylized versions: a baby possum, a cartoon possum, and a cartoon baby possum.
Coloring baby possum pages: baby possums (joeys) are hairless and pink when they first leave the pouch, but most illustrated baby possum pages show the young animal with fine, short grey fur. Baby possums have the same proportional features as adults but with notably larger eyes and ears relative to body size. A pale grey with slightly pink undertones reads well for a joey’s soft, new fur.
Coloring cartoon pages: cartoon possum pages simplify the form and typically exaggerate the large eyes. The cartoon possum reading a book is the most whimsical page in the set, placing the animal in an activity context. A standard grey-brown palette works for cartoon pages, with the freedom to vary eye color and expression as desired.
Outline and Printable Pages
Several pages provide clean outlines suitable for classroom coloring, stencil work, or younger children who prefer simplified forms.
Printable PDF and Online Possum Coloring Pages
The realistic pages, the feathertail glider page, and the cuscus page reward printing for close species-specific detail work.
What These Pages Do
The feathertail glider weighs about 12 grams and is the smallest gliding mammal on Earth. The mountain pygmy possum is the only Australian mammal that hibernates properly, retreating under snow for months in the alpine winter, its heart rate dropping to a few beats per minute. Both animals are in this set of 20 possum coloring pages, which also includes the brushtail possum that has adapted so well to city life that it regularly lives in suburban roof spaces across Australia and New Zealand.
The same word, possum, covers all of them. The same set of coloring pages holds the world record holder for the smallest gliding mammal, the single Australian hibernator, and the urban mammal that climbs through kitchen windows at night in Sydney. Coloring through the set is spending time with that range: the grey shapes that look similar in outline but belong to entirely different ecological niches.
The AAP notes that coloring activities featuring multiple species within a single animal group, particularly when the differences between species are made explicit, support children’s early taxonomy thinking and reinforce the scientific idea that similar-looking organisms can have very different adaptations and life histories.
Art therapy practitioners note that small nocturnal mammal subjects, particularly those depicted in resting or hanging poses with large eyes and soft coats, are among the most reliably calming animal subjects for children, combining the appeal of small animals with the visual gentleness of nocturnal stillness.
How to Color Possum Coloring Pages
Each species in this set has a distinct base coat color. Brushtail: cool silver-grey. Mountain pygmy possum: warm grey-brown. Feathertail glider: grey-brown with pale underside. Cuscus: white with orange-rust spots (male) or uniform brown-grey (female). Getting the species’ base color right before adding detail is the most efficient approach.
The cuscus eye color is distinctive: bright red or orange. The spotted cuscus has unusually vivid eye coloration compared to other possums. Using a saturated warm red or orange for the eyes on the cuscus page, against the white-and-rust spotted coat, gives this page its visual identity. Other possum species have dark brown or black eyes.
The feathertail’s tail bristles benefit from thin, parallel strokes. The horizontal bristles on each side of the feathertail’s tail read as feather-like only when they are treated with fine, parallel marks rather than a single solid tail shape. Even a simplified version with a few visible bristle lines on each side communicates the defining feature of this species.
Hanging pages work best when the tail’s grip is emphasized. On the upside-down hanging page, the prehensile tail curled around the branch is the structural logic of the image. Treating the tail with slightly darker color where it wraps and grips, and lighter color on the free-hanging lower body, reinforces the physical reality of how possums hang.
5 Creative Craft Ideas with Possum Coloring Pages
Multi-Species Display
Color the brushtail possum, mountain pygmy possum, feathertail glider, and cuscus pages with each species’ accurate palette. Display as a four-species comparison.
One animal group, four completely different animals, four completely different color approaches. Takes about thirty minutes.
Size Comparison Study
Color the feathertail glider (12g) and the brushtail possum (1-4kg) pages and display side by side with a scale note.
The smallest and largest possums in the set, in direct comparison. Takes about twenty minutes.
Baby and Adult Pair
Color the baby possum page and a brushtail adult page as a growth comparison pair. Keep the baby slightly pinker and softer than the adult’s cooler grey.
Two life stages of the same species in direct comparison. Takes about fifteen minutes.
Cuscus Spot Study
Color the cuscus page with a male palette: white base, orange-rust spots, vivid orange-red eyes. Then color it again with a female palette: uniform brown-grey.
The same species, two sexes, two completely different visual presentations. Takes about twenty minutes.
Reading Possum Display
Color the cartoon possum reading a book page and display with a short fact card about the mountain pygmy possum’s hibernation or the feathertail glider’s weight.
A classroom-ready display combining whimsy with factual content. Takes about ten minutes.
FAQ About Possum Coloring Pages
Are these possum coloring pages free, and can I color them online?
Yes. Every page is free, with no account, email, or payment required. Download the PDF to print at home, or open it in the online coloring tool to color on screen.
What is a possum?
Possums are arboreal marsupials native to Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands. They belong to several families within the order Diprotodontia and range widely in size, from the tiny feathertail glider at around 12 grams to the common brushtail possum at up to 4.5 kilograms. Most possums are nocturnal, tree-dwelling, and marsupial, meaning females carry young in a pouch. The word possum refers specifically to Australian animals; the similar-looking American animal is the opossum, a different marsupial group.
What is the difference between a possum and an opossum?
Possums and opossums are two separate groups of marsupials on different continents. Possums (order Diprotodontia) are native to Australia and surrounding islands. Opossums (order Didelphimorphia) are native to the Americas, with the Virginia opossum being the most familiar North American species. Despite the similar name and some visual overlap, they are not closely related. The coloring pages in this set feature Australian possums, not American opossums.
What is the feathertail glider?
The feathertail glider (Acrobates pygmaeus) is the smallest gliding mammal in the world, weighing around 12 grams and measuring about 6 to 8 centimeters in body length. It is named for its distinctive tail, which has horizontal bristles on each side resembling a feather or flight feather. The feathertail glider uses a thin gliding membrane between its front and back legs to glide between trees, and can cover distances of up to 25 meters in a single glide.
What is the mountain pygmy possum?
The mountain pygmy possum (Burramys parvus) is a small marsupial found only in the alpine and subalpine zones of southeastern Australia, at elevations above 1,400 meters in the Australian Alps. It is the only Australian mammal known to hibernate properly, spending the winter months under snow with a dramatically reduced heart rate and body temperature. It was first known from fossil records and considered extinct until a living specimen was found at a ski lodge on Mount Hotham in 1966. It is currently listed as critically endangered.
What is the spotted cuscus?
The spotted cuscus (Spilocuscus maculatus) is a large, tree-dwelling marsupial found in northeastern Queensland and across New Guinea. It is notable for its striking sexual dimorphism: males have a white coat with orange or rust-colored spots, while females are typically uniform brown-grey. The cuscus also has unusually bright red or orange eyes, making it one of the most visually distinctive possums in this set.
Are these official possum coloring pages from a brand or show?
No. These are nature-themed coloring pages based on real possum species. They are not affiliated with any licensed brand, animated series, or specific artwork.
What age group are these pages best suited for?
Possum coloring pages are appropriate for a wide age range. Cartoon and simple outline pages are accessible to children aged 3 and up. The realistic species pages, particularly the feathertail glider and the cuscus, are better suited to children aged 6 and up who are ready to engage with species-specific detail.
Start Coloring
Download any page by clicking the design. No account, email, or payment is required. Pages print directly from the browser at full resolution or open in the online coloring tool for screen use. Share finished pages on Facebook or Pinterest using the share buttons at the top of each design page.
