{"id":9144,"date":"2022-05-22T20:15:28","date_gmt":"2022-05-23T00:15:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/?p=9144"},"modified":"2022-05-22T20:15:28","modified_gmt":"2022-05-23T00:15:28","slug":"oakville-opossum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/oakville-opossum\/","title":{"rendered":"An Unexpected Opossum In Oakville"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In early May, I arrived at a nearby park near 9 on a grey, gloomy morning. Something was moving quickly into the woods near the gate. It was grey or white and house-cat-sized. I grabbed my camera and bolted from the car, hoping to get a photo before it disappeared. As I hoped (or feared?) it was the first Opossum I&#8217;ve seen in Ontario that wasn&#8217;t dead on a road.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumPeeksonNaturalCrooksDotCom.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-9139\" src=\"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumPeeksonNaturalCrooksDotCom.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of Virginia Opossum Peeks on NaturalCrooksDotCom\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1551\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumPeeksonNaturalCrooksDotCom.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumPeeksonNaturalCrooksDotCom-155x200.jpg 155w, https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumPeeksonNaturalCrooksDotCom-768x993.jpg 768w, https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumPeeksonNaturalCrooksDotCom-309x400.jpg 309w, https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumPeeksonNaturalCrooksDotCom-232x300.jpg 232w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Viewed from the right angle, an Opossum is reasonably attractive. The two-toned ears are quite eye-catching when backlit.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Singularly Unattractive Animals<\/h2>\n<p>Raccoons are an unwelcome visitor in many urban yards due to their clever tricks for getting into garbage and compost cans. Well, that would not make them too unwelcome: it&#8217;s the way they fling the bits they aren&#8217;t interested in out of the cans and all over the sidewalk or driveway. But many people find raccoons, especially young ones, kind of cute\u00a0 with their black robbers&#8217; masks and ringed tails.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumHeadonNaturalCrooksDotCom.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-9143\" src=\"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumHeadonNaturalCrooksDotCom.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of Virginia Opossum Head on NaturalCrooksDotCom\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1759\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumHeadonNaturalCrooksDotCom.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumHeadonNaturalCrooksDotCom-136x200.jpg 136w, https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumHeadonNaturalCrooksDotCom-768x1126.jpg 768w, https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumHeadonNaturalCrooksDotCom-273x400.jpg 273w, https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumHeadonNaturalCrooksDotCom-205x300.jpg 205w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>The almost snarling look is not pleasant, though.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m not sure anyone would describe a Virginia Opossum adult as &#8220;cute.&#8221; Something about the narrow face, bright pink bald nose, and tiny but sharp teeth, and the almost bald ropy-looking tail does not appeal to me.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumFootonNaturalCrooksDotCom.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-9142\" src=\"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumFootonNaturalCrooksDotCom.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of Virginia Opossum Foot on NaturalCrooksDotCom\" width=\"1200\" height=\"2414\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumFootonNaturalCrooksDotCom.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumFootonNaturalCrooksDotCom-99x200.jpg 99w, https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumFootonNaturalCrooksDotCom-768x1545.jpg 768w, https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumFootonNaturalCrooksDotCom-199x400.jpg 199w, https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumFootonNaturalCrooksDotCom-149x300.jpg 149w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>The feet look a bit too human and even a bit like a group of bald baby birds.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumTailonNaturalCrooksDotCom.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-9140\" src=\"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumTailonNaturalCrooksDotCom.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of Virginia Opossum Tail on NaturalCrooksDotCom\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1881\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumTailonNaturalCrooksDotCom.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumTailonNaturalCrooksDotCom-128x200.jpg 128w, https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumTailonNaturalCrooksDotCom-768x1204.jpg 768w, https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumTailonNaturalCrooksDotCom-255x400.jpg 255w, https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumTailonNaturalCrooksDotCom-191x300.jpg 191w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>This one looked to have tail damage. Frostbite is a common problem for northern dwelling Opossums.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>No Photos of Cute Baby Opossums&#8230;Yet<\/h2>\n<p>Unfortunately, the Opossum I encountered did not have any &#8220;Babies On Board.&#8221; Or if it did, they were still in the pouch, not perched on its back. Of course, this may have been a male Opossum.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumTeethonNaturalCrooksDotCom.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-9141\" src=\"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumTeethonNaturalCrooksDotCom.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of Virginia Opossum Teeth on NaturalCrooksDotCom\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1478\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumTeethonNaturalCrooksDotCom.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumTeethonNaturalCrooksDotCom-162x200.jpg 162w, https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumTeethonNaturalCrooksDotCom-768x946.jpg 768w, https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumTeethonNaturalCrooksDotCom-325x400.jpg 325w, https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/VirginiaOpossumTeethonNaturalCrooksDotCom-244x300.jpg 244w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Maybe some day I&#8217;ll see a female with a group of babies clinging to her back like mini circus acrobats. For now, I&#8217;m pleased to have seen and photographed my first living Virginia Opossum.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related Reading<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/muskrats-munching-rattray-marsh-toronto\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Muskrats Munching<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Join In<\/strong><br \/>\nDo Opossums live near you? Have you seen them alive? Please share your experience with a comment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This marsupial mammal won&#8217;t win most beauty pageants. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[54,903,892],"class_list":["post-9144","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-focus","tag-oakville","tag-virginia-opossum","tag-winston-woods"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9144","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9144"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9144\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9154,"href":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9144\/revisions\/9154"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9144"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9144"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}