Opposum – Originally uploaded by mountainpath2001.

I was just outside and heard something rustling in the leaves in the back yard. Grabbed a flashlight, and went to investigate. It was an opposum, bigger than the one above.

Every once in a while, I find an opposum out on the deck eating cat food. Normally there is a mutual I’m-eating-leave-me-alone policy between the ‘possum and the cats.

Usually it scurries off into the fig tree and pretends I don’t see it. It will hang around for a while if I talk to it (quit yer laughing). You have to respect the only North American marsupial; its ancestors were stealing food from dinosaur backyards millions of years ago. It has thumb-like structures on its back feet, and a decent prehensile tail. The white face is striking against the gray fur. And, get this – not only does the female have two uteri, but the male has a double-pronger to match. Humans, dogs and big owl are its only real predators, and it will eat practically anything. I’m always fascinated by the froglike webby hands. Even with few real defenses, it is a true survivor. Still – it’s a very strange creature.

Tonight this one looked right at me with bared teeth, moving its head from side to side like a cow, and growled at me in a very odd and menacing manner. I wondered for a moment if it might be rabid – but rabies is extremely rare in ‘possums. I didn’t get too close. Little One and Zoom (the cats) didn’t seem at all perturbed. The possum held its ground. I wonder whether it might have stashed some food under the leaves or something like that.

It wasn’t quite frightened enough to "play possum" by feigning death.

After watching it for five minutes or so while with the flashlight lowered, I came back inside. A bit later, it was gone.