Espy and the THING in the backyard

"hopitus" wrote
I preferred the 'possums to the iguanas even though the
lizards were harmless to me, just ugly.

--------

I think iguanas are pretty and possum are ugly (except for the adorable
babies).

John F. Eldredge wrote:


My mother once told me a funny tale about a "burglar" that turned out to
be a family of opossums. In the middle of the night, she was awakened by
a strange scratching sound at the bedroom window. She shook my father's
shoulder and said, "Foster, don't make a sound. I think someone is
trying to break into the house." Still mostly asleep, he responded,
loudly, "Whaaa?". "I hear a burglar." "Whaaa?" Finally, he woke up
enough to understand what was going on, and went over to the window to
check it.

The "burglar" turned out to be a mama opossum and a row of babies, all
perched on a branch next to the window. Their weight had bent the branch
over enough to make it scratch against the window pane. He told my
mother what was going on, and they enjoyed watching the opossums through
the window.

Many years ago I was renting a "guest house" in Hollywood, with
oppossums living in the walls. Apparently they had their nest next to
the wall-furnace (where it was presumably warm). Every night, just
about bed-time, I'd hear this strange rustling under the floor, then up
into the wall next to the heater, where it would more or less stop for
the night.

I think I've mentioned before the time I had just acquired a new kitten,
which I allowed out of its box to explore (including my enclosed patio).
I waited patiently for the kitten to come back inside. Pretty soon I
heard this "rustle, rustle, rustle" along the pathway to the patio door.
Just about the time it reached to door, I looked up, expecting to see
the kitten. Instead of the marmalade kitten face I expected, I saw a
pointy gray snout with black, beady eyes regarding me! Instead of my
new kitten, it was a half-grown 'possum cub (kit/pup?). (The kitten was
still examining barbecue pit at the end of the patio.)

hopitus wrote:
Snakes are not really cuddly, lovable pets like cats,
but I
know they can be made hoomin-friendly, as the constrictors tolerate
being
draped on us and stretched out close contact w/o doing their self-
preservative
move of *constricting* us to death. They know that what might be way
too big
to *eat* can still be killed by them to avoid harm and like birds,
they have eyes
either side of head, making for 360o vision.

The main reason that constrictors don't constrict people to death is
their handlers. They know not to let a constrictor make a loop around a
body part especially the neck or chest (They *will* start squeezing if
they do so) and they know to have sufficient people holding the snake
for its size and muscle mass. People can and do get killed for
irresponsibly handling constrictors either out of stupidity or
ignorance. No snake has been bred out of its wild instincts, and they're
difficult to train or socialize at best. Add to that the high percentage
of snake owners that use their snakes to live out their sadistic streak
(live feeding) and well... I don't really like snake ownership most of
the time. It's far too easy to be cruel to the snake.

minnow ^..^
--
http://twitter.com/taheenahana
http://www.flickr.com/photos/minnow/

moonglow minnow wrote:

The main reason that constrictors don't constrict people to death is
their handlers. They know not to let a constrictor make a loop around a
body part especially the neck or chest (They *will* start squeezing if
they do so) and they know to have sufficient people holding the snake
for its size and muscle mass. People can and do get killed for
irresponsibly handling constrictors either out of stupidity or
ignorance. No snake has been bred out of its wild instincts, and they're
difficult to train or socialize at best. Add to that the high percentage
of snake owners that use their snakes to live out their sadistic streak
(live feeding) and well... I don't really like snake ownership most of
the time. It's far too easy to be cruel to the snake.

I wish it were illegal to own *any* wild animal as a pet. Not just without
the right permit, but always. Undomesticated animals don't belong in homes.

That said, I also think snakes are beautiful and I have an affection for
them. It really angers me when people are cruel to them, or who kill a
non-venomous, non-dangerous snake just because they're afraid of it. Most
snakes are completely harmless. I do understand about phobias, that you
can't just talk yourself out of one with logic, or even with facts, but
that doesn't give anyone license to engage in mindless cruelty.

Joyce

--
What business is it of the state how consenting adults choose to pair
off, share expenses and eventually stop having sex with each other?
-- Bill Maher

On Tue, 30 Mar 2010 20:16:41 +0100, Jack Campin - bogus address
wrote:

My mother once told me a funny tale about a "burglar" that turned out to
be a family of opossums. In the middle of the night, she was awakened by
a strange scratching sound at the bedroom window. She shook my father's
shoulder and said, "Foster, don't make a sound. I think someone is
trying to break into the house." Still mostly asleep, he responded,
loudly, "Whaaa?". "I hear a burglar." "Whaaa?" Finally, he woke up
enough to understand what was going on, and went over to the window to
check it.
The "burglar" turned out to be a mama opossum and a row of babies, all
perched on a branch next to the window. Their weight had bent the branch
over enough to make it scratch against the window pane.

I never found possums the least bit cute, growing up in New Zealand.
They're an introduced species and very destructive to the native
wildlife. But it got personal when I was living in an old house in
the centre of Auckland. Features of this house: a 30-foot palm tree
outside my window, a fire escape ladder doing all the way up to the
roof, and a chimney whose fireplace (in my bedroom) was blocked off
with a sheet of iron. And a possum that had strayed from eating its
way through the trees in the local graveyard.

The possum worked out a routine. Between 2am and 3am it would climb
to the top of the palm tree and laugh maniacally (NYAAH-HAA-HAA-HAAA!)
for a few minutes. Then it would go down the tree, up the fire escape,
and into the chimney. It would half-fall, half-scramble down the
chimney at an ever-accelerating speed (rat-a-tat-a-tatta-TATTA-TATTA-
TATTATATTA!!) until it hit the sheet of iron in my fireplace, which it
braked on (SKREEEEK!!!!) with its claws. It would then scurry under
the floor (thumpity-thumpity-thump-WUMP!) and out through a hatch in the
side of the house, climb back up the tree, and go NYAAH-HAA-HAA-HAAA!!!
again for a few minutes. Then back down the tree again...

It didn't live very long.

That is very weird. The ones that we have around here don't behave
anything like that. Odd that it's an introduced species because its
closest relative would seem to be a kangaroo. But any animal
introduced where it has no natural enemies is going to be a big
problem.

Oh, I see. You really had possums:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Possum

We have Opossums:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opossum

Those aren't the same animal even though I've always used the name
interchangeably. Acually, I usually write it as oPossum.

I've now learned something new. I can go home and go to sleep certain
that the day wasn't a waste.

dgk wrote:

I never found possums the least bit cute, growing up in New Zealand.
They're an introduced species and very destructive to the native
wildlife.

That is very weird. The ones that we have around here don't behave
anything like that. Odd that it's an introduced species because its
closest relative would seem to be a kangaroo. But any animal
introduced where it has no natural enemies is going to be a big
problem.

Oh, I see. You really had possums:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Possum

We have Opossums:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opossum

Those aren't the same animal even though I've always used the name
interchangeably. Acually, I usually write it as oPossum.

They're different species, on separate Order sub-branches, but
coincidentally, they're both marsupials. The Wikipedia article says
that the Australian (and now New Zealand) possum got its name because
it has some similarities to the American opossum. I wonder what
those similarities are.

I have to admit that the Australian possums in the photo at the top
of the Wikipedia page look really cute. Sorry, Jack. I know their
presence in New Zealand has been a disaster.

I've now learned something new. I can go home and go to sleep certain
that the day wasn't a waste.

LOL. I guess the same is true for me!

Joyce

--
The Internet is on computers now! -- Homer Simpson

In ,
dgk typed:
On Tue, 30 Mar 2010 20:16:41 +0100, Jack Campin - bogus address
wrote:

My mother once told me a funny tale about a "burglar" that turned
out to be a family of opossums. In the middle of the night, she
was awakened by a strange scratching sound at the bedroom window.
She shook my father's shoulder and said, "Foster, don't make a
sound. I think someone is trying to break into the house." Still
mostly asleep, he responded, loudly, "Whaaa?". "I hear a burglar."
"Whaaa?" Finally, he woke up enough to understand what was going
on, and went over to the window to check it.
The "burglar" turned out to be a mama opossum and a row of babies,
all perched on a branch next to the window. Their weight had bent
the branch over enough to make it scratch against the window pane.

I never found possums the least bit cute, growing up in New Zealand.
They're an introduced species and very destructive to the native
wildlife. But it got personal when I was living in an old house in
the centre of Auckland. Features of this house: a 30-foot palm tree
outside my window, a fire escape ladder doing all the way up to the
roof, and a chimney whose fireplace (in my bedroom) was blocked off
with a sheet of iron. And a possum that had strayed from eating its
way through the trees in the local graveyard.

The possum worked out a routine. Between 2am and 3am it would climb
to the top of the palm tree and laugh maniacally
(NYAAH-HAA-HAA-HAAA!) for a few minutes. Then it would go down the
tree, up the fire escape, and into the chimney. It would half-fall,
half-scramble down the chimney at an ever-accelerating speed
(rat-a-tat-a-tatta-TATTA-TATTA- TATTATATTA!!) until it hit the sheet
of iron in my fireplace, which it braked on (SKREEEEK!!!!) with its
claws. It would then scurry under the floor
(thumpity-thumpity-thump-WUMP!) and out through a hatch in the side
of the house, climb back up the tree, and go NYAAH-HAA-HAA-HAAA!!!
again for a few minutes. Then back down the tree again...

It didn't live very long.

That is very weird. The ones that we have around here don't behave
anything like that. Odd that it's an introduced species because its
closest relative would seem to be a kangaroo. But any animal
introduced where it has no natural enemies is going to be a big
problem.

Oh, I see. You really had possums:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Possum

We have Opossums:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opossum

Those aren't the same animal even though I've always used the name
interchangeably. Acually, I usually write it as oPossum.

I've now learned something new. I can go home and go to sleep certain
that the day wasn't a waste.

The possums that DGK is talking about are natives of Australia, intorduced
into NZ to start a 'possum fur' business. Much like cane toads in Australia,
the original purpose for their introduction failed miserably, and now they
are a total PITA outside their natural ecosystem. Yes,they do behave exactly
as described, they're a total pain in the rear, and they are a protected
species here so you can't take revenge on them, as much as you'd often like
to.

I find htem cure, but bloody annoying. We have a family that likes to have
sprint races up and down the length of the roof cavity in the dead of night.

Yowie

On Thu, 1 Apr 2010 13:59:30 +1100, "Yowie"
wrote:


The possums that DGK is talking about are natives of Australia, intorduced
into NZ to start a 'possum fur' business. Much like cane toads in Australia,
the original purpose for their introduction failed miserably, and now they
are a total PITA outside their natural ecosystem. Yes,they do behave exactly
as described, they're a total pain in the rear, and they are a protected
species here so you can't take revenge on them, as much as you'd often like
to.

I find htem cure, but bloody annoying. We have a family that likes to have
sprint races up and down the length of the roof cavity in the dead of night.

Yowie



Do they have natural enemies in Australia that can be introduced to
New Zealand? Probably a bad idea though.

Yowie wrote:

The possums that DGK is talking about are natives of Australia, introduced
into NZ to start a 'possum fur' business. Much like cane toads in Australia,
the original purpose for their introduction failed miserably, and now they
are a total PITA outside their natural ecosystem. Yes,they do behave exactly
as described, they're a total pain in the rear, and they are a protected
species here so you can't take revenge on them, as much as you'd often like
to.

How did they get to Australia? According to all I've read they are
native to North America! (Marsupials, yes, but NOT from "down under" -
they represent the only marsupial native to a non-antipodian continent.)

"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" wrote:

How did they get to Australia? According to all I've read they are
native to North America! (Marsupials, yes, but NOT from "down under" -
they represent the only marsupial native to a non-antipodian continent.)

Did you see dkg's post where she clarified that there are two different
(and not closely related) species in question - the Australian possum
and the American *opossum* (also called "possums")?

Joyce

--
Loneliness is comforted by the closeness and touch of fur to fur,
skin to skin, or -- skin to fur. -- Paul Gallico