I was going to post facts about possums, like how they eat cockroaches, rotting fruit, and slugs, and how they hiss and bare their teeth when threatened (so do I), or go limp, since they have no defenses against predators. But then I found this great YouTube video called In Defense of Opossums, which does a much better job than I could.
Did you feel badly for the possums in my story? Would you have felt badly if they had been rats? No? Then please visit http://opossum.craton.net/ You can view the video there. It plays the Rocky Theme, not sure how that fits, but the video is less than three minutes, and worth the time.
Possums are a protected species in their native Australia. Do yourself a favor and find out why!
photo from http://www.opossum.org/
Great video!!! They are so darn cute!!!! Now I'd better find you a raccoon video, LOL. (still can't believe you don't like raccoons)!
ReplyDeleteThat was a good video. I didn't know half of those things about them.
ReplyDeleteI had one in my court yard at night last summer. Rather odd since I live in a city. I totally ignored him. He was about three feet from where I was sitting. I didn't notice him right away. I didn't like his naked tail though. It wasn't cute. Too much like the ones rats have. LOL
Ok, Kristy. I recant. I 'fear' raccoons, but they are just creatures trying to survive, so I will cut them some slack. But I love chetahs and I'd die of fright if one was on my front porch!
ReplyDeleteI checked out the laughing raccoon blog. Those babies are adorable, actually cuter than baby possums. (Did I say that?)
Catherine, I agree, adult possums aren't cute, but I have an attachment to them now, nonetheless. But finding a live one three feet from me would still startle me, then one of us would have to 'play possum'! LOL!
In New Zealand (where I was born and raised) the only good possum is a DEAD possum. Introduced from Australia during the Great Depression (an old fashioned name for a major global exonomic crisis!) when it was thought the trapping them for skins would create some income for those prepared to hunt and trap they soon made themselves right at home. No predators to keep them in check and a food supply undreamt of by their Australian relatives their population soon grew to plague proportions. They are responsible many native species now being endangered, and they carry tuberculosis. As a result they are an official 'pest' but inspite of many many years of one erradicaton programme after another they remain a big problem. So cute as they might be when they are little I have no love of these critters at all!
ReplyDeleteI bet those New Zealand possums are thinking they could ship all the humans to Australia, LOL.
ReplyDeleteHaha Fiver - I'm sure they'd like that just fine! :) For the humans they are mostly an inconvenience but for native wildlife they are a disaster as they take over habitats and eat everything in sight :(
ReplyDeleteNorma, I did read about the possum problem in New Zealand, one we don't have here. Maybe if humans would not try to manipulate nature it wouldn't turn tail on them, in this case a possum tail! In my area we have the same type of problem with vegetation and insects, introduced intentionally, or by accident, that wreak havoc and overtake many of the native species. Unfortunately, the possum, and the endangered species, will pay the price for human stupidity.
ReplyDeleteI'll bet the possums here would be pretty ticked if they knew of the cushy life their New Zealand relatives have!
Carolyn, I had to giggle at your newfound love for the lowly possum! I love them too and don't want any harmed although when we had chickens, my husband and son had to shoot one in the chicken pen--how he got in with two different kinds of wire on the house remained a mystery. Poor fellow. But I think they are cute and someone made a perfect one in miniature with its teeth bared and sold it on eBay but I can't remember now who the artisan was. I intend to try making one for my log cabin but I am sure I won't do them justice. Have you ever read the children's illustrated book, Possum Come a Knockin'? It was one of our favorite funny stories when my children were growing up!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/dp/0679834680/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=4416043569&ref=pd_sl_173yeejyvt_b
You MUST order it!
Jody
Thanks for the book link, Jody. I will check into it. Although my kids are grown, it's grandchildren time!
ReplyDelete