Odd Critter Appreciation Thread

[HollyBerrie]

This thread is for discussion about critters who are mis-understood by many, but liked, loved, and appreciated by few.

Some of these critters, in the right circumstance, are chicken predators. This thread is not about that, as there are already many threads about chicken predators.

So please be respectful, and don't be a troll.

(Edited from original which began as being about opossums).

 

[Isadora]

What do you love about opossums?

 

[HollyBerrie]

I admit, out of ingnorance have killed opossums. One day I was shooting an opossum and had to get closer to it to finish him off. He was laying on the ground and trying his best to defend himself by showing his teeth and snarling. It just hit me "What am I doing? He is not attacking anything, not doing any damage whatsoever to my property, on my property, to my poultry, and he desperately wants to live". At that point I had to kill him, because I already injured him too much.

No more.

The next opossum I saw on my property would sometimes would try to stay in the barn at night with the chickens. It was getting close to winter. When closing the barn door at night sometimes he was on the pooping tray (that was under the roost) with the chickens, thinking he was going to stay in there for the night. I would shoo him off of there and out of the barn with a broom.

One night I caught him hiding under a nest box, so I wouldn't see him, as if he's done that before and it worked. So, I always checked there too. After a few times of shooing him out of the barn, he settled under the chicken shed.

I named him Smelly because he had gotten sprayed by a skunk one time.

One morning he was coming out from under the chicken shed and he played dead. I thought that was strange because he never has done that around me before. Later that day I found him dead for sure in another area on my property.

I never tried to tame him, and never put food out specifically for him. He was simply welcome here. He never tried to harm my chickens and I never found eggs broken.

 

[Isadora]

Sounds like a unique possum.

 

[HollyBerrie]

What do you love about opossums?

They are the only North American marsupial, use their tails to wrap around tree limbs, have unique paw prints, and they eat a lot of ticks and slugs.

 

[Silexian]

After learning more about them, I have a new found respect for opossums.

 

[KingD]

On a chicken forum? Yes!

Only for those who like, love, and appreciate opossums.

Opossum hate speech of any nature will not be tolerated!

I like them. They're nice and ugly.

Are the American ones a different breed to the Australian ones?

Edit to add: Yes they are, just googled, in fact they're not even called the same things.
US - Opossums
AU- Possums

 

[Bakbuk]

My input:

 

[Coops Dad]

I terrorize them and send them on their way with an admonishment to leave the area permanently; recidivism will be treated with a more permanent cure.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Possums can and will eat eggs and chickens if they are hungry. Your chickens will be sorry. I am fine with possums that live anywhere else. I don't have to kill them anymore because my dog takes care of that.