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To: yall
Image hosted by TinyPic.com Has anybody ever seen one of these alive? This Opossum was grazing on walnuts that had fallen from the platform feeder just after sunset. Yeah,it's horrible photo I took through the window before I realized that that didn't cut it with digicams.
918 posted on 05/05/2005 5:58:49 PM PDT by Dysart
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To: Dysart

Yep/ I see them a lot. Sometimes in my yard in the evening. Any fruit left over from the day, I toss on the ground in the evening and they clean it up.


919 posted on 05/05/2005 6:02:00 PM PDT by sweetliberty (Never argue with a fool. People might not know the difference.)
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To: Dysart; MamaTexan; GodBlessUSA
Apparently my birds don't do too much reading about their feeding behavior. According to this, I should have all sorts of birds that are already present in my yard scarfing up some of the fruit offerings I put out, including grapes, raisins, apple pieces, cranberries, watermelon and oranges. The Grosbeaks eat around it. The Woodpeckers don't touch it and the Bluebirds and Thrashers have shown no interest. The only ones I've actually seen eating fruit are the Mockers, and they are very dainty, only eating small amounts. Perhaps I need to set up a little bird computer outside with the appropriate links to educate these birds as to their appropriate eating habits.
930 posted on 05/08/2005 10:13:03 AM PDT by sweetliberty (Never argue with a fool. People might not know the difference.)
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To: Dysart

I have a funny story about possums.

I was dressed for work once, which was a skirt, nylons and pumps, and let the dogs out into the back yard for the day. One ran to something and picked it up, and I could tell immediately it was some kind of animal. Well, I didn't want them to have that, so I went out, looked, and saw a dead possum. Mouth gaping open, tounge hangin' out.

I didn't want to pick the thing up with my hands. I'm not a super squeemish person, but I grabbed a shovel and scooped him up with that.

Then I stood there. Where do I put it? At the time I was in a duplex with other yards surrounding me, and I thought for a minute. I didn't really want to put it in my garbage. I needed to get out the door to work, so I put it in my burn barrel. Not that I'd burn it, but at least the dogs wouldn't get to it and I could deal with it later.

Well, I plop him in there, and he immediately gets up and starts walking around. D'oh! He was playing possum! He wasn't dead at all! I marveled at him remaining stiff and dead while I walked around with him on the shovel.

Well, the little guy scratching around in the burn barrel was no good either... the dogs were already onto that... and, truth be known, I'm a real softy where critters are concerned. I can't kill things for no reason, especially just leaving it to starve in a burn barrel. So I stuck the shovel back in to scoop him out, and as soon as I touched him, 'plop, he fell over 'dead'. Amazing. He let me scoop him up, dead, now covered with ashes, and now I am standing there again, with the dogs keenly wanting at it, wondering where to put it.

I put it over my fence into the neighbor's yard. He laid there for a minute and then slowly, looked around, got up, and proceeded right back through the fence into my yard. D'oh! I put the dogs in, went out, and tried to chase him back through the fence. It was a kind of mesh field fence with 4" squares. Well, every time I'd chase him, he'd get spooked and fall over dead again.

Dang. By now I am getting to be late for work. The dogs really want out, and this possum is dead set on going somewhere, through my yard.

OK, I think, He's got a plan to get across the yard, so I'll put him on the other side... maybe he knows where he needs to be. So I spooked him, picked him up with the shovel again, still marveling at this whole 'play dead' concept, and plopped him over the fence on the far side. He got up, and trotted off, away, thankfully, any direction than back into my yard was good.

My coworkers thought this was a bizarre excuse for being late. But I learned something, and witnessed first-hand why possums always get hit in the road. Playing possum doesn't work with a car.


931 posted on 05/08/2005 10:20:24 AM PDT by HairOfTheDog
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To: Dysart
LOL! I recognized that guy! We have a large one my son calls Morrow Zonda.? LOL!
942 posted on 05/08/2005 12:57:14 PM PDT by GodBlessUSA (US Troops, past, present and future, God Bless You and Thank You! Prayers said for our Heroes!)
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