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toby jo

(1,269 posts)

84. Friendly little forest critter - me and the dogs ran into 1 one night when out hiking

Tue Mar 4, 2014, 01:49 PM

Mar 2014

the state park after hours. That 'dead' thing they do, well, the dogs all found it, took a good sniff, and trotted right on by. It had me, too. Their pulse and respiration all but stops - a pretty good trick.

Nature and her endless devices.

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Why you should brake for possums [View all] G_j Mar 2014 OP

+1 jsr Mar 2014 #1

Why did the chicken cross the road? hollowdweller Mar 2014 #20

lol unionthug777 Mar 2014 #91

Wow, interesting BrotherIvan Mar 2014 #2

They are ugly as sin Aerows Mar 2014 #5

Sad, because raccoons are endlessly fascinating BrotherIvan Mar 2014 #6

Virginia Opposums Aerows Mar 2014 #12

Apparently they have never sat outside your window int he middle ofthe night having a little snack hollysmom Mar 2014 #30

Wha???? BrotherIvan Mar 2014 #103

Squirrels are not that large here, like big mice, not rats and hollysmom Mar 2014 #106

oh.. hi.. frylock Mar 2014 #94

Exactly BrotherIvan Mar 2014 #105

The one on Modern Family last week was pretty cute. cui bono Mar 2014 #10

A few of them can be cute Aerows Mar 2014 #13

Oh, I disagree-- I think they're cute as hell. Marr Mar 2014 #27

Okay, yes, they are cute as hell Aerows Mar 2014 #42

Who you calling ugly? FailureToCommunicate Mar 2014 #44

To you maybe. But to a male opossum, the females probably look pretty fine. yellowcanine Mar 2014 #76

First time I ever saw a live possum, I was leaving a movie theater NickB79 Mar 2014 #95

They hiss to try and scare you Mojorabbit Mar 2014 #32

The Australian ones are adorable. Luminous Animal Mar 2014 #35

You haven't been around many then... freebrew Mar 2014 #93

I guess there are quite a few opossum fans here BrotherIvan Mar 2014 #104

A large raccoon can inflict some serious damage in a fight. nt ladjf Mar 2014 #102

They also are remarkably resistant to rabies Aerows Mar 2014 #3

I sent my son out to the back yard one night notadmblnd Mar 2014 #4

When I lived in Chicago on the north side off Western Avenue, closeupready Mar 2014 #9

LOL cui bono Mar 2014 #11

he had to have been 17 at the time notadmblnd Mar 2014 #15

Excellent info Isoldeblue Mar 2014 #7

My puppies don't like opossums. LiberalAndProud Mar 2014 #8

Liberally and proudly called opossum since 1610... DreamGypsy Mar 2014 #16

You're not a Breaking Bad fan, I take it. LiberalAndProud Mar 2014 #19

... Scootaloo Mar 2014 #25

I'm stealing that! lastlib Mar 2014 #70

Hmmm. Breaking Bad appears to be some form of television entertainment... DreamGypsy Mar 2014 #34

Great line! And I'm a big Breaking Bad fan. Can't wait for Better Call Saul. nt valerief Mar 2014 #78

I have a friend who found a baby possum on the side of the road... 2theleft Mar 2014 #14

What a wonderful story. Thanks so much for sharing. BlueCaliDem Mar 2014 #17

They are cute, once you get past that rat tail!! 2theleft Mar 2014 #23

The hairless tail bugs me Aerows Mar 2014 #52

I have some that live in my barn. hollowdweller Mar 2014 #18

I think he lived maybe 4 years, but no, not very long... 2theleft Mar 2014 #21

Me too! Aerows Mar 2014 #50

My 'burb bullsnarfle Mar 2014 #69

Possums, you say? VScott Mar 2014 #22

oh no you dident. LiberalAndProud Mar 2014 #24

Vittles ready!!! VScott Mar 2014 #36

Possum stew! Art_from_Ark Mar 2014 #46

Awesome! Way to work Granny in! TheKentuckian Mar 2014 #37

"When they are threatened, they pretend to be dead". So this has nothing to do with jtuck004 Mar 2014 #26

This thread is not about Ken Lay. LiberalAndProud Mar 2014 #54

Badda bing! Bwahahaha! valerief Mar 2014 #79

Good to know.. thank you, G j Cha Mar 2014 #28

Bastards can probably do some damage. One critter I'm not fond of but I don't have an TheKentuckian Mar 2014 #29

The opossum is not native to California Brother Buzz Mar 2014 #31

Well we have Lyme disease in California now, so maybe it's good the possums are here. Liberty Belle Mar 2014 #49

So they say, but ticks are not really a problem in my area and Lyme disease is very rare Brother Buzz Mar 2014 #59

What the heck do you have against opossums or anything Live and Learn Mar 2014 #55

I guess, walking into my kitchen to discover an ugly opossum sitting in my sink ... Brother Buzz Mar 2014 #60

He's adorable. Have seen plenty of them Live and Learn Mar 2014 #61

I asumed he waked in through the open door Brother Buzz Mar 2014 #82

Several years ago I walked into my kitchen and found one in my wastebasket KansDem Mar 2014 #66

I didn't wait for the "I'm dead" schtick. Brother Buzz Mar 2014 #86

You should brake for all living things..... DeSwiss Mar 2014 #33

What an interesting thread. 3catwoman3 Mar 2014 #38

If I only had to worry about opossums, that would be bliss. Common Sense Party Mar 2014 #39

We've been feeding them. obxhead Mar 2014 #45

I feed our neighbors as well, whenever the veggies start to go bad. Common Sense Party Mar 2014 #47

carrots, potatoes, and molasses coated corn feed they go crazy over. obxhead Mar 2014 #48

They love cherries. We have some sort of cherry tree in front of my office window Common Sense Party Mar 2014 #51

And they don't get rabies. WCLinolVir Mar 2014 #40

w00t! Jamastiene Mar 2014 #41

I welcome our opossum overlords obxhead Mar 2014 #43

What a great idea, swerve to miss the oppossum Jenoch Mar 2014 #53

Had a friend swerve to miss a deer and put his 18 wheeler in a ditch. He was fired B Calm Mar 2014 #65

He should have let the deer bounce Jenoch Mar 2014 #67

City folk MO_Moderate Mar 2014 #75

Because it is the right thing to do! Live and Learn Mar 2014 #56

This is a cool video about opossums Aerows Mar 2014 #57

at least she doesn't have to rehabilitate Republicans tomm2thumbs Mar 2014 #63

I avoid them... awoke_in_2003 Mar 2014 #58

... RedRocco Mar 2014 #62

This is a more upbeat opossum video clip. valerief Mar 2014 #85

I'm all for not running the little guys over but ugh! illachick Mar 2014 #64

Here Kitty........ Crepuscular Mar 2014 #68

Surreal... n/t Ghost Dog Mar 2014 #81

We feed the possums in our yard Omaha Steve Mar 2014 #71

When I lived in California, opossums were frequent MineralMan Mar 2014 #72

Dangerous advice. chompers Mar 2014 #73

For what it's worth - cab67 Mar 2014 #74

They eat carrion--roadkill--and often become roadkill while doing so. valerief Mar 2014 #77

You should neither brake for them nor swerve to avoid them. yellowcanine Mar 2014 #80

I agree. HappyMe Mar 2014 #88

It is often possible to brake and swerve without causing an accident arikara Mar 2014 #90

"If everyone maintains a safe driving distance" Therein lies the problem. yellowcanine Mar 2014 #92

You touched on the main problem bullsnarfle Mar 2014 #99

Just passing by and stopped in to give this a K&R swilton Mar 2014 #83

Friendly little forest critter - me and the dogs ran into 1 one night when out hiking toby jo Mar 2014 #84

Recommend! KoKo Mar 2014 #87

I brake for butterflies. n/t WovenGems Mar 2014 #89

We had one visiting one of our bird feeders the other day mnhtnbb Mar 2014 #96

I had one secondvariety Mar 2014 #97

One used to waddle down the middle of my street in Boston Warpy Mar 2014 #98

Horse people should avoid having possums around, though csziggy Mar 2014 #100

I have possums in my yard along with racoons Lebam in LA Mar 2014 #101

It was a dark and stormy night. Curmudgeoness Mar 2014 #107

Dont need a reason... iamthebandfanman Mar 2014 #108