Brushtails live in a wide range of habitats. Throughout their present range they are common and frequently found in towns and cities. However, their former range has been considerably reduced by clearing and they have also disappeared from large areas of more arid country. They favour open forest and woodland with sufficient older trees to provide hollows. Moving at night, brushtails will spend some time on the ground moving from tree to tree in search of the fresh growth on young trees.
Leaves form the main part of the diet, supplemented with fruits and blossoms.
They can climb rapidly and will make daring leaps between branches of adjacent trees. Hollows are used for daytime refuge, so possums tend to use the larger old and dead trees which offer more chance of such sites. Brushtails generally breed in autumn. The young stays in the pouch for four to five months and remains with its mother for another six to eight weeks, either in the nest or on mum's back. Brushtails only have one young, but most survive until weaned.