Talk About Playing Opossum!!

[Cabin Fever]

I was asked to remove some critters living under a shed. I caught a opossum in a cage trap. It did the usual threatening act by opening it's mouth wide, showing its teeth, and hissing. I picked up the trap and moved it ~2' to a more convenient location to get it later. When I set the trap down, the opossum collapsed, like it was hit by a baseball bat, with it's mouth open, and eyes closed. I knew it must have been "playing dead", like I've heard they do sometimes! I got a laugh out of it and took a couple of pics. I walked away for a few minutes to check other traps. When I came back, the opossum was sitting up in the cage looking around. As I got closer to it, it again collapsed, opened its mouth, and closed its eyes, playing dead! First time I've ever seen this! Too funny!

[ny hunter]

LOL you have vid and sent to america's funniest.

[Deerthug]

That is funny. Talk about "playing possum"!

[Rev Ev]

lol. i think about that possum in Over the Hedge voiced by William Shatner when i think about possums playing "possum."

[Lawdwaz]

That mouth looks like a good place for a 10/22 barrel. <no grin>

[Lawdwaz]

Edit to add that I hate those critters. Nasty little pricks. A couple ate both hindquarters out of a buck twenty years ago I had hanging in my pals barn. I thought it was barn cats until we got both of the culprits in a live trap also.

Never liked before or since................................

Edited September 21, 2011 by Lawdwaz

[ny hunter]

Just like rats and sharks there is no need for them,I say wack'em all.

[Doc]

Isn't that "playing possum" thing some kind of actual physical unconscious condition kind of like fainting? I thought I read that somewhere ..... that they aren't acting, but actually are out cold. Kind of like those fainting goats that get all excited and drop over in a cold faint.....lol. Nature can be weird .....eh?

[Rev Ev]

Do Possums really play dead?

http://askville.amazon.com/possums-play-dead/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=705704

[Geno C]

thats funny lol

[Elmo]

A few years ago, I was out late walking my dog (off leash...I know, not good) and she ran ahead of me up these stairs that is by my building and started balking. I couldn't see what she was balking at since I was still walking up the stairs. When I got to the top, I still couldn't see why she was balking away until I got closer to her and I almost jumped back, startled! A foot in front of my dog was a possum but it wasn't playing dead. It was frozen like a statue. If you took a picture of possum in full trot, that was what the possum was doing but with mouth open and teeth exposed. Front right paw was extended as if he was about to take a step. I stared at it for like 30 seconds with my dog still barking and not a single hair moved. I then pulled my hair away, walked a few feet and turned around, the possum was gone. Jumped into the bushes. Strangest thing.

Edited September 21, 2011 by Elmo

[bushnell]

They are one ugly animal. Never really got to see one play dead. I hit one with the car lastnight and I couldn't get him to play dead or be dead. But that is a good picture and too bad it wasn't on video.

[Doc]

I had one in a trap once that was "playing dead". Well, when I was done he wasn't playing any more. We didn't get much for possums (about $1.50 back then) But then that was when $1.50 was actually worth something .... lol.

[wooly]

Lol- pretty cool!

Good reason not to scrape that possum road pizza off the pavement....the dinner that bites back,lol