Bless You, Erasmus. I find that very few people in my area have compassion for Possums but personally they rather touch my heart. Last summer I startled 2 of them panting in the heat inside of one of my compost bins and I draped cut branches and foliage over it to offer them some shade and coolness. I never saw them again and assume they were a young couple starting a family. From reading online they do not stay together long as they are rather solitary creatures. But I always have a soft spot in my heart for Opossums. Every creature is just trying to get by in this world (smile) We had one living in a tree for a few weeks at our last home till it moved on. Luckily our 2 Scottie dogs were really not aware of its presence so they left it alone to both of their benefit, probably mostly theirs as they were all bark and no bite (grin)

erasmus, we have 2 types of possums here. The ringtail possum is very cute, but I like the larger one too.

fast2002, I so agree about every creature just trying to get by. The only things I deliberately kill without a qualm are mosquitoes leeches.

Could be that gardeners are more appreciative of possums. I have never been much fond of them, and I think it's because I find them unattractive. But after learning a little more about them I think I'll feel more welcoming to them. Not long ago I saw a stray cat in a standoff with a big black snake in my garden. For the first time ever I was pulling for the snake to get away.

We have possums in our backyard sometimes. They don't stay long - maybe 3 or 4 days. The babies are so cute! One time I opened our basement door and a medium sized baby one ran out - maybe 7 inches long. I think it was old enough to be off it mother, and had been exploring.

Jackie

I feel as though we should have opossums but have never seen one here. I'm a total bleeding heart for any and every kind of animal, although I wish Rocky the rattlesnake (so named by a friend) would move on since this particular subspecies' bite can be fatal and it takes a much larger amount of antivenin to recover from its bite.

I had do idea that a possum's diet was so helpful to gardens. Clearly, my garden could use a possum or two.

We get possums looking for grubs and other bugs. Sadly the first heatwave always takes the older ones. I put out water but I don't think old possums are that sturdy. Possums are gentle and the babies are curious. We fostered a baby once. She lived in the shower and loved to run on a big hamster wheel we built for her. She also like to climb and dig in leaves. We built her a big structure to play on. Finally she was old enough to leave and happy she was to go snail hunting outside. I saw her a few times in the night and she sat and watched me instead of running off. Man she was active at night. We could hear her on the wheel for hours. I gave her as little contact as I could but it was hard not to want to be there with her. I think people see the smaller ones in the dark and mistake them for rats. They don't cause damage like rats do.

We were told in our Master Gardeners class that opossums eat mosquitos. This got me to open my mind toward them and I continue to appreciate them more and more.

Kittymoonbeam, that is neat to hear about your possum adoptee. I'm glad she seemed able to survive on her own when the time came.

The other day I saw a huge woodchuck- looking creature race across my garden. That's the first time I've seen one here, though I often see them on the side of the road. They like to stand on their hind legs looking around just beside the road. I wonder what they eat...I imagine a similar diet to possums.

Ingrid, I hope your rattlesnake will move on too.

I didn’t know possums are garden helpers. I only know possum fur isn’t pretty, but it’s thick and warm. I have a few possum fur lined rain coats, they are great for wet winter weather. I think possum pelts on my coat linings were all from New Zealand, they have a huge possum problem over there.

We have possums in our back garden occasionally. They don't stay long. One day I opened the basement door and realized a baby possum had wandered in there and got locked in. He was so cute! He ran outside immediately. Here is one walking along our back fence:

The North American (o)possum and the possum of Australia and New Zealand are different animals, not really related to each other, though both are marsupials. The American one eats all the creatures we as gardeners like to be without. The one from Australia and New Zealand eats leaves from trees and birds’ eggs. In New Zealand it was introduced by settlers, and it causes great trouble, so it is killed systematically, and its fur is used for clothing etc. So not every possum is a welcome guest.

I read they eat rats so they are completely welcome in my yard. I always have had them and had a baby in my house also! It was rooting around underneath my old sink where I keep bottles. I don't keep the door open anymore that's for sure! I just wish they wouldn't eat my tomatoes.

It's hard to picture a shy, gentle looking possum attacking a rat, but guess it works out for them. That's actually a cute picture of a possum , Jackie.