By Don Corrigan
Plush Possums are settling in for the winter with homeowners who were gifted with the furry critters during the holidays. Some of the possums are playing video games and listening to music on headphones.
A favorite song for possums to listen to on their headphones is “Possum, Possum” by the band, Phish. The song is about a roadkill possum flattened by an automobile on the road.
Possums are vulnerable when cars approach on the road, because they “play dead” in the road when they think a predator is after them. When the car hits them, they are dead for real and not just playing!
Why would anyone want to run over an awesome possum? Why would any driver want to leave a poor possum as just so much scrambled organic matter in the middle of the road?
Possums may not have a lot of fans among pet lovers who prefer attractive animals, such as fancy felines or a comely canines, but possums do deserve more respect and appreciation for the beneficial services they provide humanity.
Possums may be ugly, but they can do some lovely work in the garden or in the woods behind the house. There are many fine attributes to list in praise of the homely possum.
•Opportunistic Omnivores. Possums are not finicky diners and will eat just about anything, including other roadkill possums. They get
thumbs up for their consumption of ticks. As thorough groomers, possums find good eating with ticks in their scruffy white hairs.
•Incredible Edible Possums. Possums have always been famous as “hillbilly food.” Folks in the Kentucky and Tennessee hills find it odd that city folk think nothing of simmering pork or beef in the crockpot all day, but they turn up their noses at the idea of possum.
•Senility Study Subjects. Possums are ideal research animals for science and medicine because they are easy to maintain in captivity. They produce many babies at an early age.
Possums can reach senescence within two years of their births. An aged, teetering possum of more than two years can have cataracts and will likely have reached the point of reproductive senility.
At the point of possum senility, a medical researcher will be able to study a population of senior possums exhibiting some of the major aging characteristics associated with elderly humans.
(Don Corrigan is the author of American Roadkill by McFarland Publishing)
Environmental Echo 