![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/opossum-print.jpg\")
The snow we’ve been getting lately provides visible clues to who\u2019s been out and about in the park. Bird feet don\u2019t usually offer much insight into genus and species, fox and coyote paws are hard to distinguish from those of domesticated canines, but the Virginia Opossum lays down a track that’s easy to recognize.<\/p>\n
Opossums are hip to urban living, in part because they are the penultimate omnivorous opportunists. Their \u201ctraditional\u201d cuisine features insects, small vertebrate animals, wild fruits (including persimmons, a favorite treat), and carrion. But they’re equally willing to partake of bird feeder spillage or feast on the caloric jackpot found in garbage cans and dumpsters (not without risk, as they may fall in and become trapped).<\/p>\n
If ever there was a creature in need of a good spin-doctor, it\u2019s North America\u2019s only marsupial. The Aussie cousins \u2014 kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, sugar gliders, even wombats \u2014 have somehow garnered a higher charismatic ranking than poor old Didelphis virginiana<\/em>.<\/p>\n The root of their public relations problem may be their attire. Sporting a long snout, ash-gray fur, and long, naked tail, is it any wonder that many city and suburb folks mistake them for giant rodents?<\/p>\n Opossums have been known to venture through a pet door now and then, especially if there\u2019s a beckoning bowl of kibble on the other side. This can come as quite a shock\u2014to ALL parties\u2014when a homeowner or fur-family member wanders into the mudroom or kitchen to discover a wild thing helping themselves to a snack.\u00a0 Back in the mid-90’s, I ran large non-profit wildlife rehabilitation center in Houston, Texas, and I’ll never forget the day when one of my Wildlife Hotline volunteers frantically waved me over to help him with a woman who was in a panic over a ‘Possum in her laundry room.<\/p>\n Using my best imitation of a New Age guided meditation voice, I was eventually able to steady her breathing and convince her that the startled, hissing creature standing like a statue in front of the dryer was not a freak-of-nature rat.<\/p>\n I’m sorry to say, however, that my instructions for how to use a broom to politely show her uninvited guest to the door fell on deaf ears.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Agitated Woman<\/strong>: “I\u2019m sorry, but I can\u2019t go back in there! I can’t even stand to look at him! He\u2019s just so <\/em>UGLY!”<\/em><\/p>\n Indignant Wildlife Biologist<\/strong> (that would be me): “Well, ma\u2019am, for all we know he’s has the same opinion of you.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Not one of my finest Wildlife Hotline moments, I’ll admit, but the words tumbled off of my tongue before I had a chance to bite it.<\/p>\n I happen to think Opossums are quite handsome but there\u2019s no denying the rodent resemblance. Let’s face it, if you are mouse-and-rat adverse you\u2019ll probably never come to think of \u2018Possums as pretty. Plus, they’re up against another persistent PR problem \u2014 it\u2019s a common misconception that members of this species are clumsy, dirty, and not all that bright, with poor vision and hearing to boot.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t believe it.<\/p>\n Opossums are actually quite clean. They carefully groom themselves during and after eating\u2014even the little one (which, btw, are cute as kittens). When it comes to the acuity of their senses, common knowledge has it all wrong. These marsupials have excellent hearing and can easily detect the rustling of prey hidden under dry leaves or tree bark.<\/p>\n A wildlife rehabilitator friend who works extensively with Opossums tells me they evolved with a focus on olfactory sensitivity and, as a result, have an extraordinary sense of smell. Their sight is about average for mammals but, because they are primarily nocturnal, their eyes are adapted to working under low-light conditions. Day is night for an Opossum and, as a result, they can appear rather dazed and confused in sunlight… kind of like me when my dog asks to go out at 2 a.m.<\/p>\n Personally, I think any species that\u2019s managed to survive, relatively unchanged, since the Cretaceous deserves a more than a little credit. After all, modern Homo sapiens<\/em>\u00a0 is a relative late-comer, arriving on the scene 90 million years post-‘Possum.\u00a0 It has to be said that humans are, at times, clumsy, dirty, and not all that bright, with poor vision and hearing to boot.\u00a0 Plus, we’re not doing such a great job living within our planetary means.<\/p>\n So perhaps we should follow Aretha’s admonition a show our elders a little more R-E-S-P-E-C-T.<\/p>\n \u00a9 2010 <\/em>Next-Door Nature. Thanks to the photographers who granted permission to use their photos, and to those who made their work available through the Creative Commons license: DMangus<\/span><\/a>, Paul Hurtado<\/span><\/a>, Campus Roots<\/a><\/span>, Mathesont<\/span><\/a>, and jacosammie<\/a><\/span>.<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" BY\u00a0KIERAN LINDSEY, PhD The snow we’ve been getting lately provides visible clues to who\u2019s been out and about in the park. Bird feet don\u2019t usually offer much insight into genus […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":5727,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/viginia-opossum-by-Paul-Hurtado-CCL-by-sa-2.0.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/opossum-by-Campus-Roots-CCL-by-2.0.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/baby-opossum-by-Mathesont-CCL-by-nc-2.0.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.lafayettepark.org\/staging_5\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/opossum-in-winter-by-jacosammie-CCL-by-nc-2.0.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\nBY KIERAN LINDSEY, PhD<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n
The snow we've been getting lately provides visible clues to who\u2019s been out and about in the park. Bird feet don\u2019t usually offer much insight into genus and species, fox and coyote paws are hard to distinguish from those of domesticated canines, but the Virginia Opossum lays down a track that's easy to recognize.<\/h4>\nOpossums are hip to urban living, in part because they are the penultimate omnivorous opportunists. Their \u201ctraditional\u201d cuisine features insects, small vertebrate animals, wild fruits (including persimmons, a favorite treat), and carrion. But they're equally willing to partake of bird feeder spillage or feast on the caloric jackpot found in garbage cans and dumpsters (not without risk, as they may fall in and become trapped).<\/h4>\n
If ever there was a creature in need of a good spin-doctor, it\u2019s North America\u2019s only marsupial. The Aussie cousins \u2014 kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, sugar gliders, even wombats \u2014 have somehow garnered a higher charismatic ranking than poor old Didelphis virginiana<\/em>.<\/h4>\n
The root of their public relations problem may be their attire. Sporting a long snout, ash-gray fur, and long, naked tail, is it any wonder that many city and suburb folks mistake them for giant rodents?<\/h4>\n
\nOpossums have been known to venture through a pet door now and then, especially if there\u2019s a beckoning bowl of kibble on the other side. This can come as quite a shock\u2014to ALL parties\u2014when a homeowner or fur-family member wanders into the mudroom or kitchen to discover a wild thing helping themselves to a snack. Back in the mid-90's, I ran large non-profit wildlife rehabilitation center in Houston, Texas, and I'll never forget the day when one of my Wildlife Hotline volunteers frantically waved me over to help him with a woman who was in a panic over a 'Possum in her laundry room.<\/h4>\n
<\/a>\nUsing my best imitation of a New Age guided meditation voice, I was eventually able to steady her breathing and convince her that the startled, hissing creature standing like a statue in front of the dryer was not a freak-of-nature rat.<\/h4>\n
I'm sorry to say, however, that my instructions for how to use a broom to politely show her uninvited guest to the door fell on deaf ears.<\/h4>\n
<\/h4>\n
Agitated Woman<\/strong>: \"I\u2019m sorry, but I can\u2019t go back in there! I can't even stand to look at him! He\u2019s just so <\/em>UGLY!\"<\/em><\/h4>\n
Indignant Wildlife Biologist<\/strong> (that would be me): \"Well, ma\u2019am, for all we know he's has the same opinion of you.<\/em><\/h4>\n
<\/h4>\n
Not one of my finest Wildlife Hotline moments, I'll admit, but the words tumbled off of my tongue before I had a chance to bite it.<\/h4>\n
I happen to think Opossums are quite handsome but there\u2019s no denying the rodent resemblance. Let's face it, if you are mouse-and-rat adverse you\u2019ll probably never come to think of \u2018Possums as pretty. Plus, they're up against another persistent PR problem \u2014 it\u2019s a common misconception that members of this species are clumsy, dirty, and not all that bright, with poor vision and hearing to boot.<\/h4>\n
Don\u2019t believe it.<\/h4>\n
\nOpossums are actually quite clean. They carefully groom themselves during and after eating\u2014even the little one (which, btw, are cute as kittens). When it comes to the acuity of their senses, common knowledge has it all wrong. These marsupials have excellent hearing and can easily detect the rustling of prey hidden under dry leaves or tree bark.<\/h4>\n
A wildlife rehabilitator friend who works extensively with Opossums tells me they evolved with a focus on olfactory sensitivity and, as a result, have an extraordinary sense of smell. Their sight is about average for mammals but, because they are primarily nocturnal, their eyes are adapted to working under low-light conditions. Day is night for an Opossum and, as a result, they can appear rather dazed and confused in sunlight... kind of like me when my dog asks to go out at 2 a.m.<\/h4>\n
Personally, I think any species that\u2019s managed to survive, relatively unchanged, since the Cretaceous deserves a more than a little credit. After all, modern Homo sapiens<\/em> is a relative late-comer, arriving on the scene 90 million years post-'Possum. It has to be said that humans are, at times, clumsy, dirty, and not all that bright, with poor vision and hearing to boot. Plus, we're not doing such a great job living within our planetary means.<\/h4>\n
So perhaps we should follow Aretha's admonition a show our elders a little more R-E-S-P-E-C-T.<\/h4>\n
\n\n
\n\n\u00a9 2010 <\/em>Next-Door Nature. Thanks to the photographers who granted permission to use their photos, and to those who made their work available through the Creative Commons license: DMangus<\/span><\/a>, Paul Hurtado<\/span><\/a>, Campus Roots<\/a><\/span>, Mathesont<\/span><\/a>, and jacosammie<\/a><\/span>.<\/em><\/h4>","_et_gb_content_width":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":0,"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[425,16],"tags":[59,23,44,9,288,289,12,290,291,14,292,15,55],"class_list":["post-4012","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mammals","category-wildlife","tag-animal-behavior","tag-flora-and-fauna","tag-human-wildlife-conflict","tag-lafayette-park","tag-mammal","tag-marsupial","tag-nature","tag-opossum","tag-surburan-wildlife","tag-urban-wildlife","tag-virginia-opossum","tag-watchable-wildlife","tag-wildlife-rehabilitation"],"yoast_head":"\n