wildlife, redux

Tonight -- an opossum in the yard. I don't know why they're called o-possums, it's the only word I can think of for which the initial letter is silent. But seriously, they are the only marsupial native to North America. And as ugly as the day is long. See what I mean? [image from http://www.iknowaguypestcontrol.com/catalog/images/opossum.jpg]

According to http://www.opossum.org/facts.htm, opossums will "Hiss or growl and show their 50 sharp teeth when frightened; but, in reality, they are gentle and placid — they prefer to avoid all confrontations and wish to be left alone." I think the "50 sharp teeth" is the more noteworthy part of that statement. A couple of years ago, one tried to move into the winter hutch for the yard cats, and it was neither gentle nor placid about being dislodged from it. No "playing possum" for that particular representative of the species.

On the up side, according to the National Opossum Society (who knew?) opossums are more resistant to rabies than are other animals and they eat slugs and snails -- which is a help in the garden. And they're nocturnal, so being hideously ugly (did I mention that already? I'm so shallow) is not as onerous as it might be under other circumstances.

So -- live and let live up here in the northernmost reaches of the mainland portion the great metropolis.

a bit much, even for me

There's a skunk in the yard.
It's very beautiful. Mostly white, all fluffy like a persian cat, with a sleek alert pointed face. And, no, it's not a cat. It's most definitely a skunk. This is the second time I've seen it. No fool, it shows up on the night the trash goes to the curb. I'm glad of the local wildlife and try to support and encourage it as much as possible. But life in the Bronx is not a Disney movie, especially for small cute fluffy mammals with good hearing, poor eyesight, and a bad reputation. What to do? What to do? (Although . . . the issue may have just resolved itself. My cat, Halloween, came in with me after I took the trash out and he smells faintly -- if you can imagine "faintly" -- of skunk.) Helloooo, parks department.
[image from I-love-Disney.com]