They are North America's only marsupial. They eat dead animals, ticks and rodents. They do not carry rabies.

Some find them ugly. Smelly. Bother the dogs, although maybe the dogs are more at fault.

Probably live under my porch.

Misunderstood helper? Or stinky nuisance?

Good critters. Leave them alone and appreciate them for scavenging up stuff that would be a lot of trouble if they didn’t.

There is exquisite irony in that an animal surviving largely off of carrion aims to fool predators by appearing dead and therefore unpalatable. It seems self aware too, as if to say, "I'm fucking nasty and I know it."

I’m glad they do the thing they do, but goddamn they’re fucking ugly animals. They walk weird, they have red eyes, and I know that at least 10% of them are fucking with my dogs on purpose.

NC for their effectiveness overall though.

Frankie99 wrote: Wed Dec 08, 2021 12:50 am goddamn they’re fucking ugly animals. They walk weird, they have red eyes, and I know that at least 10% of them are fucking with my dogs on purpose.

Crap

Useless thread. No animal (besides certain humans, of course) is crap. How can an animal be crap?

Baboons are also crap. And rats.

I mean, not that I want any animal to be extinct... it's just a few of them kinda suck.

I find them oddly cute, but I know I'm alone in that.

That they creep people the fuck out by doing nothing more than hang out and stare is kind of Not Crap.

Now skunks.. I'm sure they serve some useful purpose, but if yr gonna live under my porch then we've got problems.

My biggest irrational fear is rats, and possums are like big rats.

Glad they exist to do their thing, but crap.

penningtron wrote: Wed Dec 08, 2021 6:43 am I find them oddly cute, but I know I'm alone in that.

Nope, Mrs. MSE loves 'em. She coos at them when they come around the bird feeders at night. "Look! Possie is here!" Granted, she coos at any critters that come around but she does seem to have a special affection for the (o)possums.

NC.