See this animal? What type of animal is it?
Gary is convinced it’s a rat. After he’s seen 10,000 opossums coming to eat at the Wildlife Buffet, he looks at this one and thinks it’s a rat.
I said, “We can’t be the ones who draw rats to the neighborhood. That’s it for the – “
“It’s a white rat. Look how clean and well-groomed it is. It’s someone’s pet that got out.”
“It’s just a skinny hyperactive opossum. We’ve had white opossums befo – “
“That’s a pet white rat. Rats make great pets.”
“Do you want a pat rat? Is that what this – “
“I know white rats, I worked with them in biology class. Some kid in our neighborhood is letting his rat run free at night. Rats bond really tightly with humans. He’s coming here to eat and then going back to his human family like a cat.”
He did not say the rat was named “Remy” or anything in particular, he did not give it any laboratory escapee back story, but he would not budge on the rat designation.
I then had to research the distinctions between rats and opossums. Evidently opossums have a flat back, while rats are hunched, and opossums snouts are longer that rat snouts. Granted, it isn’t exhibiting typical opossum behavior. It does seem a bit furtive. This opossum has a little spring in its step. But, how would any animal act that just discovered a giant pile of manna?
2 responses to “Opossum”
It’s a young opossum, probably born this spring.
I think you are right. It’s just so odd. We continue to see him, and the prancing and the way he holds his tail high is puzzling. Youth would explain the prancing, though.