This guy was hanging around under the bird feeder.

[dansamy]

I never get to see one of these guys living. They seem to always meet their end in the middle of the road around here.

[ausmoose]

That's a possum? Doesn't look like the possums we have around here..

[Na Horuk]

Haha, possums are such funny creatures! Thanks for posting

[dansamy]

That's a possum? Doesn't look like the possums we have around here..

Yes. They're all over the place around here. And they like to commit suicide in the middle of the road.

[tessfully]

Apparently they have made their way up to the Algonquin area in Ontario. I have seen the tracks, but never the possum. Thank you for sharing these delightful images.

[ChristianRock]

That is one ugly creature.

But your pictures are good

[slowpez]

This was daytime? I always assumed they only came out at night to give cars a fair chance to hit them. Possum stew is very popular in the south. They are kind of cute ugly guys. TFS.

[OrchidJulie]

Like Susan, I'm surprised to see them out and about in daylight. They are quite nocturnal here. We have a few of them in the neighborhood. The babies are sort of cute, but the adults are, um, not handsome creatures. IMO. Great shots, though!

[Sam Dennis]

This was daytime? I always assumed they only came out at night to give cars a fair chance to hit them. Possum stew is very popular in the south. They are kind of cute ugly guys. TFS.

Foot of snow on the ground makes them more social, otherwise they would hide in the daylight.

---------- Post added 02-24-14 at 10:34 AM ----------

That's a possum? Doesn't look like the possums we have around here..

I think it's technical name is "Virginia Opossum", of which there are many varieties. At least that is what wikipedia has to say. A common animal in the Eastern US, but I dont think I have ever seen a live one before. Generally they only come out at night. This guy must have been hungry. Or he thinks he is a squirrel.

---------- Post added 02-24-14 at 10:37 AM ----------

That is one ugly creature.

But your pictures are good

Thank you. My zoom is an old manual focus one, so I have to take twelve-teen hundred shots to get a few in focus ones.

---------- Post added 02-24-14 at 10:39 AM ----------

Like Susan, I'm surprised to see them out and about in daylight. They are quite nocturnal here. We have a few of them in the neighborhood. The babies are sort of cute, but the adults are, um, not handsome creatures. IMO. Great shots, though!

I have been to this location a thousand times, as it's the nearest wild spot to my home. Never seen one before. Except the poor road killed ones.

---------- Post added 02-24-14 at 10:40 AM ----------

I never get to see one of these guys living. They seem to always meet their end in the middle of the road around here.

The New Jersey possums have that same trait.

[OrchidJulie]

Yes, hunger and/or thirst will bring them out in daylight. But they prefer the dark. The neighborhood possums here will run/hide if a porch or carport light comes on near them. I think their eyesight is poor, so vehicle headlights probably blind them, and lead to their demise on the roads at night.

[dansamy]

Yes, hunger and/or thirst will bring them out in daylight. But they prefer the dark. The neighborhood possums here will run/hide if a porch or carport light comes on near them. I think their eyesight is poor, so vehicle headlights probably blind them, and lead to their demise on the roads at night.

They do have very poor vision in good lighting. Their night vision is excellent.

[Kameko]

I never get to see one of these guys living. They seem to always meet their end in the middle of the road around here.

Heyyy, that sounds familiar! I don't think I've ever seen a life possum, just pancake possums

[dansamy]

I'm not even sure I've seen a *whole* possum... Just flattened, squished possum parts. I wish I could remember what the green, sick smiley is so I could enter it from my phone.

[OrchidJulie]

Select the "go advanced" button when you reply, the smilies are on the right, including the green one...

If I could catch one of our possums in some light I'd send you a pic. But they climb up or waddle away as soon as the carport light comes on...