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The Possum..... they came to Ontario as tourists
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The Possum, or Opossum, is not native to this part of Southern Ontario, but began to arrive here several decades ago and appears to be breeding successfully in this area.
One of the most interesting sites I have found that gives lots of information is The Possum Pages which has everything you might want to know about this, the only North American marsupial.
The Opossum of North America is a different species than it's Australian cousin, although, both are marsupials which means that they give birth to babies at a very early stage of development.
The young then crawl to the mother's pouch and latch onto a nipple, where they stay and feed for several months, until they emerge from the pouch to face the outside world.Here in Southern Ontario these little creatures are mostly seen at night as they check out the garbage cans for dinner, or at the side of the road, dead.
They have adapted to living with people in the countryside and in small towns, but have not adapted to the presence of fast moving cars.
Hundreds of them are killed each year on our roads and highways.
In the past few decades, it seems that some poor unsuspecting Opossums have taken a nap on a stationary train or truck somewhere in the Southern States, and woken up to find themselves in Canada, with no way for them to get back.
These reluctant little immigrants settle in, breed and manage quite well in their first summer here, but when the cold winter arrives things get tough for these little marsupials.
They are not well adapted for our cold northern winters and here in Southern Ontario I have seen some animals with bits of their ears and tails missing due to frost-bite, however, they are still here and seem to be growing in numbers.
POSSUM FACTS
According to the Opossum Society, litter size can be up to 13 babies and mothers feed their babies in their pouch for 2 - 3 months and then they are carried around on the mother's back for another 1 - 2 months.
Adults are about the size of an average house cat and are solitary, nocturnal and gray in colour.
If alarmed and unable to escape, the possum may fall into a state of shock and unconsciousness, hence the term "playing Possum".
Although they prefer to avoid confrontation these gentle, placid little creatures will hiss, growl and show their teeth when cornered!
They are true omnivores and will eat insects, snails, rodents, berries, fruit, grass and leaves, eggs and vegetables.
They suffer predation by dogs, cats, owls, and humans (and cars).
The National Opossum Society has lots of information and photos about this little creature, its lifestyle and habits.
