I have 'possum tracks in the snow, in my yard , in Maine...

[jpak]

in the middle of winter.

A Hoax Made in China?

from Google images - this is what I just saw...

[MineralMan]

1. Yup, those are 'possum tracks, for sure.

They've moved into Maine. They're pretty much in every state now.

https://bangordailynews.com/2012/10/26/outdoors/maines-marsupials-opossums-continue-to-move-north/

[MontanaMama]

3. We don't have them yet, thank goodness.

They are hell on ground nesting birds.

[sweetroxie]

5. They're also "hell" on ticks

Which in New England is a good thing to be hell on.

[MineralMan]

6. But their favorite food is ticks.

[MontanaMama]

13. Haha! Good. Plenty of those in Maine.

Moose calves are dying in unprecedented numbers because of ticks.

[MineralMan]

10. I've always liked them.

I used to have one that came to my back door to eat dry cat food we put out for the feral cats in the neighborhood. I first spotted it one day when I opened the door. I crouched down, and it just kept munching the cat food. It looked at me, but didn't appear to be frightened or alarmed in any way. After a bit, I reached out and scritched its head between the ears. Again, no reaction, except to look up at me again. After a few encounters, it would look up at me until I crouched down to scritch it again before digging into the cat food.

One of the most inoffensive wild critters I know of, along with porcupines, which also aren't bothered much if you approach them slowly.

[jpak]

17. The big old males are butt ugly, but the wee ones are adorable

Many years ago, I lived near Athens GA in a farmhouse with 2 women that had dogs.

One day I came home and was immediately told "The dogs got a possum and you have to get rid of it."

I had a cat - and said nothing

I went out to throw said dead possum over the fence.

It was covered with dog slobber, open mouthed, teeth bared and drooling.

I picked up by its tail.

AND IT WRAPPED IT AROUND MY HAND!!!!11111

I dropped it over the fence and announced I was no longer House Possum Disposer....


*****

Another time, I was living on a remote sparsely inhabited island on the Georgia coast.

I went to a party one night and came home in a very "altered state".

When I entered the trailer, there was a space alien with a backpack and antenna sitting on the kitchen table eating cat food.

It took me a while - but came to the conclusion it was a possum equipped with a radio tracker.

It took me forever to get it out of the trailer

It was part of a study on evolution - and its picture was later featured on the cover of Science magazine.


*****

[MineralMan]

35. Years ago, in California, a dog in the neighborhoods harassing

A possum. It had gone into its dead possum pose. I told the dog to go home, but it wouldn't leave. So, I bent over and just picked her up and carried her away. She opened her eyes, hissed at me, and bared her pointy teeth.

I ignored all that and carried her over to a shed. I put her on the roof, out of reach of the dog. She looked at me and seemed to relax a bit. I've never actually heard of one biting anyone.

[TexasBushwhacker]

33. I like them too

They're are all "bark", no bite. They'll hiss and bare their numerous teeth, but they won't generally attack you. They can't carry rabies because their body temp is too low. They are the ultimate omnivores, they eat EVERYTHING. They are nature's garbage disposals.

[MontanaMama]

2. Are you in the southern part of Maine?

I've heard of them here and there in the southern part of Maine but not in the north. Opossums are prone to frostbite and they don't hibernate.

[jpak]

4. No, Central Maine (well north of I-95) near the western mountains.

and I've had cardinals, tufted titmice and Carolina wrens at my feeder this winter.

My "global warming birds".

The possum climbed my front steps - it wants in....

[Hekate]

7. Ubiquitous little guys, aren't they? They adore the backyard fruit trees here in California...

Which is year-round. What do they normally do in winter where it snows? Hibernate?

[jpak]

8. They're way southern critters and an we haven't had them here until recently

We haven't had these southern birds either, but we have them now...

Cardinals
Titmice
Carolina Wrens
Red bellied woodpeckers
Turkey vultures
Laughing gulls
Mockingbirds

Many of these are *winter residents* here in Maine.

And I never saw a tick in Maine until year 2000.

[TeapotInATempest]

28. Interesting - we've always had them in Chicago

well,at least since I've been alive. Now I'm really wondering what the heck they do in winter? One more thing to ponder (since apparently I'm too lazy to Google it).

[FakeNoose]

9. I had an opossum living in my backyard

... but I think my dog might have scared it away. Down my back hill I've seen plenty of wild critters - deer, raccoons, woodchucks, opossums, and of course the usual rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks. And I'm right in the city limits of Pittsburgh too! Needless to say, there's no hunting allowed in Allegheny County so these guys just strut around like they own the place.

[MagickMuffin]

22. You Get a STAR for using the correct spelling Opossum

  
       ⭐️   ⭐️   

However, I won't be hard on the other posters just because, I think most of us grew up just calling them possums.

 

[FakeNoose]

23. Thanks MagickMuffin

... and here's a heart for you!

[MagickMuffin]

24. Awwwwww

Thank you!!!

I can't afford to buy you a DU heart, but I can still give you a couple

💖 💓

[chowder66]

11. Awww little jazz hands! nt

[Johnny2X2X]

12. Possums suffer terrible in the Winter

We love them in our yard, they eat ticks like crazy and clean up any mess as well as keep mice away. They’ve made their way to Michigan, but they are no equipped for Winters here. Local experts determine their age by how much frostbite is in their tails and feet.

[MineralMan]

14. Here in Minnesota, they often next in basement window wells.

There's enough warmth coming out of most homes that they're OK there. Our dogs find one in a window well once in a while and bark like crazy, but don't actually bother the critter. I just go out and make the dogs come back inside.

Possums are another wild animal that likes living near humans. Warmth and food are always nearby.

[Johnny2X2X]

15. They're great to have around.

They get along with every other animal just fine including skunks. They are very clean. The raccoons on the other hand, bunch of trouble makers.

[MineralMan]

16. Raccoons are clowns.

I never mind seeing them, and they avoid the dogs, so they're welcome around my house. We feed peanuts in the shell to our squirrels, so they come by at night and eat all the ones the squirrels buried during the day. Smart critters. Not that afraid of humans, either, but not friendly.

[Johnny2X2X]

18. LOL

We feed our squirrels peanuts in the shell too. Have a couple that will take them from your hand.

The raccoons mess with the skunks. They’ve caused them to spray the side of our house.

[MineralMan]

19. That's not good. I hate skunk smell.

I don't mind skunks, but I sure don't want them spraying my house. The skunks around here are the pretty spotted ones. In California, they had stripes.

[joshcryer]

25. Yeah, and they're mostly immune to rabies.

Eat cockroaches, other small critters, keep things tidy. Racoons on the other hand are heavy carriers of rabies, and fuck everyones day up.

Love those ugly little critters (possums).

[Vinca]

20. I'm in southern NH and I'm feeding 3 possums every day. I'm not entirely sure

where they live, but I suspect the largest one has taken up residence under our sun porch. The 2 smaller ones seem to come from in back of the garage where there's lots of brush and cover. I'm trying to encourage them to stick around because apparently they help with both rodent control and Lyme disease ticks.

[Rainngirl]

21. Awww

The cutest little feet! I love 'possums!

[mainer]

26. I've never seen an opossum in Maine. In upstate NY, yes, but not in Maine.

I didn't even know they were around here.

[leftyladyfrommo]

27. They don't see well. Only a few inches in front of themselves.

We have lots here in Missouri. I don't think they hurt anything. They just kind if putter around. We also have lots of raccoons. They are all over the place.

[elfin]

29. They come around my south-facing back yard when it is above freezing

Even if it has been -20 the days or week before. Don't know where they are hiding before then.

The last one my dog pestered in the shrubbery at night was so pale that I learned there are actually "blonde" opossums.

It appeared after I corralled the dog inside, which was not an easy task.

I don't mind them, but my dog does. The only marsupial in North America. The babies are quite cute.

[akraven]

30. Be grateful they're not wolverine or moose tracks!

Those guys are mean! Possum's are shy and usually cute.

/image_preview

[jpak]

31. No urban moose here and no wolverines in Maine, but we do have fishers

and they eat kitty cats

[akraven]

32. That's close! Wolverines are slightly larger (weight and height).

Moose look bovine and walk funny but they're as mean as a disturbed lynx!

But the kitties make for pretty pictures!

[jpak]

34. Warning! disturbed lynx video