Subject: Re: 'Possums, Squirrels and Rats
Date: Jul 10 09:06:01 1995
From: Jon Anderson - anderjda at dfw.wa.gov



On Sat, 8 Jul 1995, Jack Bowling wrote:

> Kelly Cassidy says -
>
>
> Opossum: The opossum was introduced to the western US from the eastern
> US. In Washington State, we have numerous records in the Puget Sound
> from residential areas, farms, and along water courses. There are
> many records from Seattle and Tacoma, one from Vancouver,
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ <cut>
>
> ONE???? Ye gods, there are more opossums in the Fraser Delta than you can point a bloodhound at. I would really like to know what info source you are using because it apparently doesn't have a clue. Two personal memories: a Samoyed yelping (from a safe distance) at a possum baring all 52 needle-sharp teeth at a neighbours house in Tsawwassen, B.C. - must have been in maybe 1970 or 1971; removing a pregnant female from a gillnet we were repairing in the back yard, taking her into the house just in case she was "playing 'possum", chasing her around the bedroom when she miraculously woke up, re-catching her finally and releasing her a bit farther from the cruel webbing - circa 1974. There are still lots of possums to this day in the delta.

Jack,

Kelly, in her Washington-oriented sort of thinking, was *probably*
referring to Vancouver, USA (a suburb of Portland, Oregon...).

Of course, opossums are at least as common in Vancouver as they are in
Vancouver.

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, WA
anderjda at dfw.wa.gov