Possum Question

[WR Moore]

Discovered a possum by our outdoor heat exchangers. Seemed to be playing dead, so took the pooches for a long walk. Still there when we got back, so I removed it. The question is this for those with experience: do possums playing dead display rigor mortis? I assume my GS is now a killer, but my inquiring mind is curious.

 

[mdf9183]

Sounds like he wasn't playing dead he was actually dead, but no they do not display rigor mortis unless they are dead.

 

[Mule Packer]

When they play dead, it's actually a state called "tonic immobility" ...a physiological response to an extremely stressful situation. They don't have any control over it. Sometimes it will last a few minutes, sometimes several hours. Of course, true rigor mortis won't be setting in, but the little critters will sure appear to be dead.

 

[Rudi]

Watch for magots.

 

[Chuck24]

Granny Clampett can give you a recipe.

 

[mckenney99]

A bullet to the head from a 22lr will remove any doubt.

 

[lihpster]

Toss it in the pond. If it's alive, you'll know.

 

[S42N8]

Toss it in the pond. If it's alive, you'll know.

But what if it’s a witch possum?

 

[CajunBass]

Lay it out in the road. No one will notice it.

 

[lihpster]

But what if it’s a witch possum?

Does it weigh the same as a duck?

 

[Rustyt1953]

Does it weigh the same as a duck?

"Who are you who is wise in the ways of science?"

 

[lihpster]

Wait, are we sure someone didn't just dress up a cat as a possum? Check the nose and hat.

 

[Eric300]

George 'The Possum' Jones. One of the (Late) GREAT ones!

 

[Tom S.]

 

[yaktamer]

The question is this for those with experience: do possums playing dead display rigor mortis?

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayFZvxbxWMQ&t=2s[/ame]

 

[S42N8]

Does it weigh the same as a duck?

Probably about a henweigh.

 

[45Smashemflat]

I sense a merging of threads….

“We demand a shrubbery!”

 

[robvious]

it's just a flesh wound...

 

[jeffrefrig]

Possums are actually interesting animals. No need to kill them off, if you don't really have to. I heard they were immune to Rabies? Yeah, possum tail soup is the big bucks cuisine in Hollywood!

 

[charlie sherrill]

These little critters mostly do no harm, unless you have chickens. They eat ticks, snakes, and other pesty things. I have one that steals cat food almost every night. They don't see or hear very well and usually just stand there looking stupid until you get too close. I had one for a pet when I was a kid. He got so fat the bottom fell out of his cage and I never saw him again. One of my neighbors growing up would cook possum and sweet taters. I tried her recipe one time. The sweet taters were OK but the possum was a little greasy. I gave up any future idea of eating them after I saw several of the crawl out of a dead cow.

 

[Skeet 028]

One of my neighbors growing up would cook possum and sweet taters. I tried her recipe one time. The sweet taters were OK but the possum was a little greasy. I gave up any future idea of eating them after I saw several of the crawl out of a dead cow.

b
A little greasy?? Those things slide down quicker than a pot cooked batch of okra. Fried Okra is different...so is fried possum. But it's still greasy. That one in that picture was just playing dead. He mighta had a little too much of a dead cow though. Seeing that picture in your mind is kinda off-putting though isn't it...kinda like eating crabs...they eat dead stuff too...course I eat dead cows too....just not raw

 

[moralem]

Their low body temperature does not make them good hosts for rabies.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Possums are the only North American Marsupial and are fascinating creatures. They eat all kinds of vermin and I like to leave them alone.
Hard shell possums on the other hand root around and will destroy house foundations, gardens and lawns. Shot one at 10 yards with a .30-30 one time and pretty much vaporized it. Hit one and wound it, it will jump straight up in the air and when it hits the ground will start running in the direction is is heading when it hits. Sometimes it's at you and that's when the real fun starts.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Iffen they ain't dead.........Make "em" that way.

 

[hemiram]

My late dog Molly took her yard dury very seriously. Dogs got run off, anything else got attacked, and usually killed. One of her main targets were Possums. A couple of which actually survived a couple of her early attacks by going "Possum". One time I picked one up I thought was dead. It was night, and when I picked it up, I saw the "backlight" in it's eye change, and I got it over the fence in a hurry as I knew it wasn't dead. A few minutes after it went over the fence, it woke up, and left. Same thing happened years later, it survived the first attack and the stupid Possum came back over the fence, and since Molly had her kill skills down to perfection, she didn't fail, and he was done in about 20 seconds. Any dead animal I just tossed over the fence, something always drug the carcass away, towards the river about 3/8 of a mile away.
King was backup in the back yard, Molly took care of it, but in reality, if he had one of his dog friends over, he made it clear that Molly should just leave them alone. Other dogs were ok to drive out. King is the black and white one on the left:

 

[DWalt]

We have some that live in our back yard. Only see them roam around at night. The dog chases them but never catches one. But the dog is fairly old. They do no harm so I leave them to their business.

 

[CH4]

“And Saint Attila raised the hand grenade up on high, saying, 'O Lord, bless this thy hand grenade, that with it thou mayst blow thine enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy.' And the Lord did grin.“

 

[swsig]

Does it weigh the same as a duck?

Why a duck?

 

[lihpster]

Why a duck?

Because ducks float.

 

[S42N8]

Because ducks float.

Witch ducks!

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrzMhU_4m-g[/ame]