Sunday, June 9, 2013

Is it a Possum or Opossum?

Good morning,

Our dogs chased this critter out of our yard and into the next.  I'm very happy they didn't catch him because I think the dogs probably would have been injured if they had.

He was telling us he wasn't happy about being chased, too.  I've seen him on our security cameras wandering around the area and I hope he'll move on and find somewhere else to live.

And, both Possum and Opossum are correct.  :)

All the best,
Lois

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15 comments:

  1. MontanagirlJune 9, 2013 at 8:00 AM

    I have never seen one of these critters except in photos. They must be aggressive if pestered? And do they bite?

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  2. Lois EvensenJune 9, 2013 at 8:21 AM

    Hi Mona,

    Their famous defense is to "play possum", meaning to play dead. However, if cornered, I am sure they can be very aggressive and bite. This guy was hissing at us, even on the other side of the fence. They can carry rabies and other diseases, too.

    Thanks for stopping by. :)

    Hugs,
    Lois

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  3. TexWisGirlJune 9, 2013 at 10:27 AM

    they really do play dead so well that the dogs will leave them be. i've used a towel, picked one up by the tail to toss the carcass into the pond, and it started wiggling. :)

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  4. Pamela GordonJune 9, 2013 at 3:40 PM

    Well, I've often wondered that about the name Lois. Great photo of this opossum.

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  5. MichelleJune 9, 2013 at 7:38 PM

    We have them around our farm and I do find them a bit creepy!

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  6. SherryJune 9, 2013 at 8:34 PM

    I've only seen them as road kill along the highway. I think I can live quite well without ever enountering a real life one!

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  7. Beatrice P. BoydJune 10, 2013 at 9:12 AM

    Lois, you are correct in noting that opossum and possum refer to the same animal, but unlike some other nocturnal creatures, specifically raccoons, possums are highly resistant to rabies and so are not carriers. A good friend and fellow blogger is very familiar with possums and provided this information, which I verified with an online check. Just thought you might want to know should you encounter this visitor in the future.

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  8. Richard LawryJune 10, 2013 at 9:22 AM

    Yes, we do usually call opossums, possum for short; but actually the term possum covers about 70 species of marsupials native to Australia and surrounding islands.

    We have lots of "possums" in our area.
    An Arkies Musings

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  9. MarkD60June 10, 2013 at 9:44 AM

    I think they are nasty and dumb. I almost ran over one once that was eating a dead one that was run over previously.

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  10. Lois EvensenJune 10, 2013 at 10:04 AM

    Thank you so much, everyone! I am learning so much from my blog friends. :)

    All the best,
    Lois

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  11. Hootin AnniJune 15, 2013 at 11:35 AM

    No matter how it's spelled, they're good for the garden/and actually interior of your house...they EAT cockroaches!!! Yay!!

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  12. UnknownJune 15, 2013 at 1:36 PM

    Cute little thing.

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  13. PiaJune 15, 2013 at 5:00 PM

    I only know them from the zoo. They are cute. And yes, this one looks a bit grumpy :-)
    Hope he finds a new garden...

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  14. AnonymousJune 16, 2013 at 12:20 PM

    Good capture of this little critter!

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  15. eileeninmdJune 16, 2013 at 2:15 PM

    Great capture of your critter, I do hope it has moved on!

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