General Discussion

MineralMan

(151,183 posts)

7. Looking again at the photo, it looks like someone

Fri Dec 20, 2019, 01:13 PM

Dec 2019

is putting food on that round concrete stepping stone. That would attract the deer, as well as the opossum, since they're omnivores. The deer has ticks, which would also attract the opossum. Since an opossum isn't a deer predator, the deer wasn't alarmed the first time it encountered it. So the opossum grabbed a tick, which the deer doesn't mind at all.

That's my guess about how the two learned about the mutual benefits.

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Here's a photo of something pretty amazing, but non-political. [View all] MineralMan Dec 2019 OP

Interspecies cooperation like that is actually fairly common... Wounded Bear Dec 2019 #1

I had never heard of this one, though. MineralMan Dec 2019 #2

Nature does seem to find a way...nt Wounded Bear Dec 2019 #4

May I share this on FB to my people? evilhime Dec 2019 #43

I was watching a Nature Channel show about dolphins hunting for sardines. Blue_true Dec 2019 #66

"how the deer figured out that the opossum could help" Mike 03 Dec 2019 #3

Looking again at the photo, it looks like someone MineralMan Dec 2019 #7

Crocodiles let Egyptian plover birds pick leeches off their gums IndyOp Dec 2019 #5

Cool Photos! MineralMan Dec 2019 #6

Those two are fairly well known, but I've never seen pics. The deer/possum one is new to me. Hekate Dec 2019 #8

Not sure I could hold still to have some bird hopping around in my ear... erronis Dec 2019 #29

Maybe rhino skin is so think they don't notice, as much...? IndyOp Dec 2019 #33

That's fascinating. Thanks for a brand-new wildlife lesson. Hekate Dec 2019 #9

I love that kind of stuff! MineralMan Dec 2019 #15

I met a wild opossum early the other morning. iscooterliberally Dec 2019 #10

I saw a possum on my roof early yesterday morning. fleur-de-lisa Dec 2019 #12

They sure do like cat food! iscooterliberally Dec 2019 #14

I don't know what possums sound like in attics, but do you think it could be a raccoon? LeftInTX Dec 2019 #41

It's possible, but I have never seen a racoon in my neighborhood. fleur-de-lisa Dec 2019 #42

You can check our property for raccoon latrines. LeftInTX Dec 2019 #51

I was in a band in college . . . we were called the Communal Raccoon Latrines. fleur-de-lisa Dec 2019 #52

Oh my!!!!! LeftInTX Dec 2019 #54

better fix where they are getting in the attic because Captain Zero Dec 2019 #69

We used to have possums come to the back door of our house for MineralMan Dec 2019 #17

It really is amazing how far apart we live and yet we have the same species of animals in our yards. iscooterliberally Dec 2019 #21

Funny how nature is organized for species to help one another. PatrickforO Dec 2019 #11

Yeah, except that your feeding five cats, so there is that symbiotic thing there... MineralMan Dec 2019 #13

I love possums. cwydro Dec 2019 #16

I do too. MineralMan Dec 2019 #18

Yeah, in an outbuilding on my farm, I used to have a TV and hang out in the summer. cwydro Dec 2019 #20

We used to do that with the raccoons in the neighborhood. calimary Dec 2019 #28

So true. cwydro Dec 2019 #56

I have one I will gladly send to you. fleur-de-lisa Dec 2019 #45

I have javelina--quite a few. They stink a lot. panader0 Dec 2019 #48

I've never seen one. Just googled them. fleur-de-lisa Dec 2019 #49

The big males can get close to 90 lbs. panader0 Dec 2019 #53

Javelinas are the wild hogs of the desert southwest. From what I gained from business Blue_true Dec 2019 #67

The only good opossum is a...... TidalWave46 Dec 2019 #19

See, there's hope. mjvpi Dec 2019 #22

Not sure about that. (r)epuglicons are evil incarnate. Don't trust them now, or ever. erronis Dec 2019 #32

Never hurt an opossum. They are our friends. nt leftyladyfrommo Dec 2019 #23

Oh, I never would. MineralMan Dec 2019 #25

That wasn't aimed at you. Just general info. leftyladyfrommo Dec 2019 #30

Oh, I know. MineralMan Dec 2019 #31

They don't get rabies. leftyladyfrommo Dec 2019 #36

That's really interesting. MineralMan Dec 2019 #37

They get a bad rap down here, cuz they hiss but they are harmless LeftInTX Dec 2019 #44

My guess Beringia Dec 2019 #24

Oh... I thought that was Jeff Van Drew with Donald Trump LiberalLovinLug Dec 2019 #26

That would probably be a picture of a sychophant cleaning dump's anus. erronis Dec 2019 #34

That's great! Hortensis Dec 2019 #27

I love possums. They also enjoy dining on mice. We've noticed a decrease in both ticks and mice Vinca Dec 2019 #35

They sometimes sleep in the window wells of our basement windows. MineralMan Dec 2019 #38

We've got lots of possums, raccoons, rats and mice LeftInTX Dec 2019 #46

Cool but opossums skeeze me out. Pepsidog Dec 2019 #39

Yeah, they have that effect on a lot of people. MineralMan Dec 2019 #40

Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2019 #47

Welcome to DU! panader0 Dec 2019 #50

Isn't it obvious? Throck Dec 2019 #55

lmao Niagara Dec 2019 #65

I hate possums Bayard Dec 2019 #57

Didn't know this about possums LeftInTX Dec 2019 #60

That's good eating nt d_r Dec 2019 #58

My favorite possum story d_r Dec 2019 #59

THAT'S just the sort of helpful critter we need in politics... FailureToCommunicate Dec 2019 #61

Love Pogo! burrowowl Dec 2019 #63

'possum is hungry bucolic_frolic Dec 2019 #62

Opossums...nature's pest control Niagara Dec 2019 #64

Love it! BlancheSplanchnik Dec 2019 #68

Sweet Raine Dec 2019 #70