Aussie possum

Just made a delightful discovery.

Recently I'd been mystified because a container on top of one of my cupboards on the verandah kept catching on the door and nearly falling down every time I opened the door. I'd pushed it back repeatedly so that this didn't happen, but a short while ago when I pushed it back I felt a resistance. And there, peeping at me with startled eyes from between two containers was ............

It's not a great photo, I know, but I didn't want to startle him/her with the flash.

In case you don't recognise it, it's an Australian native possum (a brushtail, I think, but I couldn't see his tail) ... they're sweeter than the American variety I think. This one is quite young.

So, not only do I have Australian native flora on the verandah, but fauna too.

Comments

[John H. Farr]

There's nothing the least bit "sweet" about American possums. They're big, ugly critters that most people never see except as roadkill or unless they find one asleep in the bottom of a garbage can.

Not cute like yours is. Trust me.

[Carmel]

So I've heard. Australian possums are totally charming ... to people anyway, though they are sometimes quite nasty to each other. They also have a habit of galumping (is that a word) over roofs at night (their playtime). As old Queensland houses like ours have galvanised iron roofs, they sound like a herd of elephants.

[Mary]

On occasion an American possum has lumbered around the corner of my house (in Virginia) at night. Frankly, they're kind of creepy. Nothing like your little cutie.