At around 9:30PM on Saturday evening I looked out of the front window of my DD's house and saw what I thought was a cat. Our visitors had just gotten into their car and I wondered how this 'cat' had not been frightened away. It had its back to me, so I called my son over to look at it because it seemed to be a strange colour. That's when my DS told me it was an opossum. How exciting! I had never seen one before. I thought they lived in the southern states. And they do, but lately many opossums have been seen in the Greater Toronto Area. I wasn't able to take a photo because it was too dark and I didn't have my camera, so I borrowed this pic from the internet.
This is the Virginia Opossum and it is not native to Southern Ontario, but has been coming here over the last few decades, probably hitching a ride on the back of trucks. It is the only marsupial found in North America. They really don't like the cold, but the one I saw seems to have weathered our worst winter in over 20 years quite well. I can't wait to see more of them.
I am now going back to my sewing room. I had wanted to post 'what's on my design wall' this morning, but decided to go to the library first thing, before the rains came. I also needed to buy milk. It is still warm out - in the high teens, but that will change by tomorrow morning. The forecast is for -1C with freezing rain and snow. How crazy is that.? Hope that opossum is able to keep himself warm.
This is the Virginia Opossum and it is not native to Southern Ontario, but has been coming here over the last few decades, probably hitching a ride on the back of trucks. It is the only marsupial found in North America. They really don't like the cold, but the one I saw seems to have weathered our worst winter in over 20 years quite well. I can't wait to see more of them.
I am now going back to my sewing room. I had wanted to post 'what's on my design wall' this morning, but decided to go to the library first thing, before the rains came. I also needed to buy milk. It is still warm out - in the high teens, but that will change by tomorrow morning. The forecast is for -1C with freezing rain and snow. How crazy is that.? Hope that opossum is able to keep himself warm.
4 comments:
We have possums here. In my backyard. And, they are protected in Long Beach. They will gnaw on your veggies during the night; but, in their defense, they eat rats and snails also.
Possums are some of the UGLIEST critters around and have scary pointy fangs! I can't STAND them and are often found here as 'road kill'. They are nasty creatures. Just giant rats!
I didn't know they were here in Canada. I have never seen any before. Great to have learned something new today
I have been seeing down in the Leamington Harrow region for at least 10 years knew they would be up here soon enough like you say they are hitching rides!!
I just hope they don't like Chihuahua's cause they are bigger and if they have fangs!! my baby has no front teeth.
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