Possum Mother with Babies

05.15.2005 - This is one of the better nature photos that I've taken.  A customer called me, concerned about an opossum on their property.  They said that the opossum has been living under their shed for several months now, and it's driving their dog crazy.  The homeowner said that she has been reluctant to let her dog out when it's around, for fear that her dog will harm the mother opossum or the babies, or that the mother will attack the dog out of self-defense and to protect its young.  Thus, when she did let her dog out and the opossum went up in a tree and she felt that it could be captured, she finally called me to remove and relocate the animal(s). I arrived at the house near dusk, and there was the mother possum with its young clinging to its back.  I took a few photos of the scene.  I got my stepladder and gently removed the opossum and put it in a holding cage, along with the young, who clung on for dear life the entire time.  I brought the lot about 20 miles from the capture site and let them go there, where there's no houses or dogs. I think that they will do fine.  Opossums are very nomadic, and the young just drop off of mama anyway, and have to fend for themselves.  This particular female was sticking around one yard for a long time, because she found good shelter under the shed and easy food in the pet bowl, but I do think that opossums are animals that tolerate relocation very well, and that she'll find another spot to hole up.

The opossum, (Didelphis virginiana) is a nocturnal animal that lives in North America. It is a marsupial, which means that the females give birth to tiny young, who grow in a pouch. These young eventually cling to the mother's back and drop off when they are large enough. Opossums are unique for many reasons. They have opposable thumbs, prehensile tails, 50 teeth, and several other unusual features. They are omnivores who eat almost anything, they have excellent immune systems, and they rarely live more than 2-3 years in the wild. They are most commonly considered a nuisance species when they live in an attic or other structure, such as under a shed, or steal pet food or threaten animals.

For more wildlife stories, click my Wildlife Blog or the below banner to hire a local trapper.