I stepped to the bedroom window this morning and close to the house between the house and my garden swing was this Opossum!
There used to be a traveling wild animal roadshow that came to the Northwest Washington Fair each year. One year, they brought out an opossum. They are meek and rarely live much beyond 3 years of age according to the roadshow. As you can see, they sort of look like large rats. I asked ChatGPT for some info on the opossum.
ChatGPT:
The North American o’possum — more properly called the Virginia opossum — is one of the most unusual animals in the United States. It’s the only marsupial north of Mexico, meaning the females carry their babies in a pouch like kangaroos do.
Some fascinating things about them:
- They’re about the size of a house cat, with a pointed white face, hairless ears, and a long prehensile tail used for balance and gripping branches.
- They have 50 teeth, more than any other North American land mammal.
- They’re mostly nocturnal and solitary. You’ll often spot them wandering at night near woods, neighborhoods, compost piles, or roadsides.
- They eat almost anything: insects, slugs, fruit, carrion, eggs, rodents, and even snakes. They’re surprisingly helpful cleanup animals.
The famous phrase “playing possum” comes from their defense behavior. When terrified, they can involuntarily collapse into a death-like state, sometimes even releasing a foul smell so predators lose interest. It’s not acting — it’s an automatic stress response.
Another interesting fact:
They’re relatively resistant to many snake venoms and are poor hosts for rabies because their body temperature is lower than most mammals.
Baby opossums are tiny when born — about the size of a honeybee. After crawling into the mother’s pouch, they stay there for weeks, then later ride around on her back.
People often say “possum” and “opossum” interchangeably in the U.S., but technically:
- Opossums are the American animals.
- Possums are different marsupials found mainly in Australia and nearby regions.
They may look a little rough around the edges, but opossums are generally shy, nonaggressive, and surprisingly beneficial wildlife neighbors.
The opossum was busy slowly moving around the area looking for a tasty breakfast. It seemed pretty thorough in it’s adventure. As far as I’m concerned, it’s welcome to live its life out here. No cars in our yard to hit it and generally, it should be pretty safe. I guess I have a soft spot for them!
Work was crazy busy today! I’m still a bit buried and also begin interviewing for a perspective addition the office to help with my overload. Fingers crossed as I am interviewing several candidates over the next two weeks. 🤞😇
Enjoy some timely nature pics!
That’s gonna be it for today. Take care and enjoy the rest of your day wherever you are! 🙏🌏🙏
👣🐑☕️🌞🤩😊😇😁🤞😎👍🌙🥱😴
BSB Psalm 104:1-5
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD my God, You are very great;
You are clothed with splendor and majesty.
He wraps Himself in light as with a garment;
He stretches out the heavens like a tent,
laying the beams of His chambers
in the waters above,
making the clouds His chariot,
walking on the wings of the wind.
He makes the winds His messengers,
flames of fire His servants.
He set the earth on its foundations,
never to be moved.
🙏🌹
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