Evening star., 1948-11-19
This and That
BIZ Charles Z. Tr1cetDell

SIXTEENTH STREET
Dear Sir:
do you think 1t would be possible for q
possum-no pun intended-to come to my back
yard?
UNLESS my eyes went back on me- there was
a real live opossum in the yard just at dusk.
II was 50 flabbergasted by seeing him that
stood still and waited.
He looked in my direction, and did not seem
in the least afraid, but finally went out the
back gate and disappeared.
II wonder II there Is any food can put out
for him that might lure him back again.
Very truly, s. D. o:
Opossum teeth indicate that 1t is an omniv
orous animal.
That is, 1t will eat almost anything.
In season, 1t eats fresh corn, along with many
insects.
1t also takes ground nesting birds and their
eggs and young.
Young chickens stand high on its list.
Mice, moles and young rabbits appeal to It,
Juicy persimmons-
"Ah!" says Old Man Possum.
1t is nocturnal in habits, that is why most of
them are seen at dusk in and around the city.
Many have strayed into cultivated gardens in
recent years in search Of food.
In our own yard, several years ago, one came
to die, in convulsiops probably as the result of
eating food sprayed with deadly poison.
It's beautiful eyes held pathetic appeal.
It's little hands" were delicate and sensitive.
How any one could be afraid of such crea-
ture is something of a mystery, but 1t happens
every year in every large CITY, Some house
holder sees a strange animal, and calls the
police.
Actually, there is no more harmless animal
alive, and II one calls about dusk it merely
brings an interesting opportunity to study wild
life, not danger.
Our great cities still show these opportunities,
mainly from the straying visits Of foxes, rae
coons and opossums
All three make fine guests If let alone.
Possums come to bird feeding stations, where
they manage to find some Of the seeds, notably
the sunflower, to their liking.
Upon one occasion a Chevy Chase, Md,
family fed an opossum with suet, extended in
the hand.
This enchanted the small boy of the family
no end, as the saying has it.
The Virginia opossum-according to its scien-
tif1c name-is rather good sized, with long gray
hair, and long naked tail.
Full grown ones are about the size Of house
cat
The head is long and slender and at first
glance strikes the average human observer as
rather too long
ing with the rest of the animal The eyes are
small. but beautiful, rather shiny and with
much appeal.
4
This animal Is marsupial, with pouch, and
is the only representative of its type in North
America.
This fact alone should make it an honored
guest in any yard fortunate enough to have one
come visiting. The pouch of the female is on
the lower ssde of the body and serves as a
nursery for the young. These are from six to
twelve in number and are born blind, hairless
and helpless, each weighing from Is to Is
grains. Once in the pouch. each takes nipple
and hangs on, and lives thus for about six to
eight weeks. The mother then arches her tail
over her back, and the young hang to 1t by
their tails forward feet touching her back. For
several weeks the young live in this way, not
venturing out of the pouch except to swing on
the mothers back. This marvellous and unique
sight has never saved the possum family, how
ever. from being slaughtered.
The total length Of the mature possum is
80 inches. with tail about . foot long.