On Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:43:19 -0600, the infamous -MIKE-
scrawled the following:

Larry Jaques wrote:
On Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:34:40 -0500, the infamous -MIKE-
scrawled the following:

Larry Jaques wrote:
Hehehe. That's one little guy you don't want to rile. A friend and I
cornered one at a park and watched it bite a broom handle IN HALF.

Hmmmm, sure about that?
Was the broom all rotted or something?

i don't recall that it was rotted. It was a cheap broom which came
with a dustpan which had been left in the park. Those guys have really
large and nasty teeth. Do NOT rile them! They could take your finger
off in one quick chomp.

http://www.aaanimalcontrol.com/blog/opossumteeth.jpg


Yes, their teeth are comically frightening, but as wild animals go they
actually have a relatively weak bite and certainly couldn't bite clean
through a broom handle, nor adult finger.

As I said, it was a smaller diameter than your average broom, prolly
5/8" of the softest SPF known to man. It was also a larger possum
(larger than most house cats) and we had taunted it to no end. Believe
what you will.


You also eluded to them possibly be rabid if seen during the day, which

No, I alluded to that. Animal Control people often warn folks about
nocturnal animals if they're seen in the daylilght. I also said it
was possible that someone ousted it from its resting place. That's
called "advice", and you can take or leave it; Your choice.


is also very improbable. An opossum's body temperature is too low to
host most viruses, including rabies.

OK, I'll give you that one. Rabies is improbable in possums.


They're not aggressive either,
hence the saying "playing opossum." That hissing they do with the big
open mouth is really all show and no go.

Go kick/shove one a dozen times with your foot and then stick your
finger in their mouth. It'll show you "go", son. Foo!


Raccoons, on the other hand.... :-)

Are not to be tangled with, either.

---
Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight
very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands.
It hopes we've learned something from yesterday.
--John Wayne (1907 - 1979)