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[CortJstr]

Some bad advice: I think Aug is right that if you go after him with a broom he'll play dead, but forget the box, I want to see if he keeps playing dead if you pick him up by his ugly tail and carry him outside.

Opossums
North America gets one lousy marsupial, and let's just say it's not going to win any beauty contests. Or even not-ugly contests. And it wouldn't even get past the quals in the Mammal Intelligence Open. I used to be much more impressed with possums before one of those scientific myth-debunking books explained that they don't so much play dead as fall into startled comas. Another pleasant childhood metaphor thrown under the fridge of science to rot. C-

[jaydub]

Do possums have Rabies? Can they bite you and cause Horrible Death?

According to this site, they're less likely than placental mammals to carry rabies due to low body temp.

If you see one outside during the day though - that's weird behaviour for a possum and I'd give it wide berth.


(edit for broken link)

[wombat]

I am glad to know there is an Opossum Society.  I mean, I like some pretty unappealing animals, but this makes me feel almost normal.

Too late, but the site also gives advice on opossums in your basement. It is apparently a Frequently Asked Question.

[side_show]

The one's dog would deliver would play dead even after dog had dropped them and run off for approval. They wouldn't stir no matter how much they were screwed with. You coulda dressed them up in clothes like demented doll toys and they would have doggedly determinedly played deaders. Possums are committed that way, I suppose. I guess when your tool set is pretty much the same as the primitive ur-mammals you go with what you got working for you.

[post script]Always nice to have a polite little house (basement) guest, happy endings for all!

I saw 10-year-old lizard whisperer Lily Capehart on Letterman. Naturally, after she's got em hypnotized she dresses them and poses them for photos.  It's not possums, but it's a start.

[theinevitable]

man.

if I browsed sites like that often enough, I might get angry enough to start a punk band.

things like that make me become much more misanthropic than normal.

[wombat]

I am so jealous that I did not think of those lizard pictures.

[smick]

Orinthal is still in the neighborhood.   I was out walking around the house last night during the fire on the next street over from my house when I saw him scurry into the bushes between my neighbors yard and mine.

I live in an old part of Oregon City, so all of the houses are pretty much right on top of each other.  I have a feeling Orinthal has a den nearby and is attempting to live out of our garbage cans.

[littlefallsmets]

My brother's Romanian boss once went up to him and she said...

"Daniel, we have problem with cats."

(He works in a lab where they test urine and hair samples for drugs... and a band of feral cats lives in their courtyard, they feed them and use them as their lab mascots and stuff. His favourite has differently coloured eyes so he calls that cat "Bowie".)

"Yeah?"

"They are being attacked by... animal I do not know."

"What does it look like?"

"Like... big rat. BIG RAT. Big rat with... pig nose and... ugly tail."

He chewed it over in his mind over in his mind. Big rat with pig nose and ugly tail, big rat with pig nose and ugly tail...

"Do you mean an opposum?"

"Yes! Yes, is opposum... is opposum... very good, Daniel, opposum."

And then she paused thoughtfull and asked:

"How do you kill one?"

My brother works in a weird place.

[linnea]

Orinthal is still in the neighborhood.   I was out walking around the house last night during the fire on the next street over from my house when I saw him scurry into the bushes between my neighbors yard and mine.

I live in an old part of Oregon City, so all of the houses are pretty much right on top of each other.  I have a feeling Orinthal has a den nearby and is attempting to live out of our garbage cans.

The possum people on that .org website that was linked to say that possums are pretty much transitory in nature and that he should be packed up and moved out in a couple of days. Their suggestion was to cover up pet food and garbage. They even went so far as to nix the broom idea. What's a dude to do with a marsupial in his basement??

[theinevitable]

is possum. yes, is possum. how do we kill him?

I love the Slavic accent. Accents in general are wonderful, but only the Indian and Slavic accents have the power to make me all warm and giggly.

[jaydub]

Once you've caught your possum, then what?

STUFFED OPOSSUM

Serves: 4

    1 possum, whole
    1 quart cold water
    1/8 cup salt
    5 beef bouillon cubes
    2 bay leaves
    3 celery stalks chopped
    2 onions sliced
    1 bag packaged stuffing

Soak possum in cold salt water for 10 hours.
Rinse meat in cold water and refrigerate 2-4 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
Prepare stuffing according to package directions.
Stuff possum cavity with prepared packaged stuffing.
Close cavity tightly. Place stuffed possum in roasting pan, add water, bouillon cubes, bay leaves, celery and onion.
After 2 hours turn meat. Reduce heat to 300 degrees. Cook for 1 more hour.
Test roast, if not done reduce heat and cook until done.

[smick]

I love the Slavic accent. Accents in general are wonderful, but only the Indian and Slavic accents have the power to make me all warm and giggly.

Oh man, is SO cool!

[Carlos del Vaca]

You've got to caaaaaaaaaaarve that possum.

(For the unfamiliar, song over someone's mountain bike trip photos, here.)

[linnea]

The possum page just says to call Animal Control as long as they promise not to kill the critter.

Live and let live, you know?

[JorgeFabregas]

My dad removes possums and racoons from his porch all the time because they eat the cat foot and the giraffe in the little pond. He says that if you hold possums by the tail there's just nothing they can do. If you like, I can get advice on trapping one.

He used to take them to a golf course, now he takes them to The Rose Bowl.