This is not evidence, obviously, but I've heard that people from the Darrington area brought 'possums here many years ago so they could hunt them. I do know that when we were living on the northeast side of Whidbey Island in the early '80's my husband saw an opossum and was told there weren't any on the Island. Having been raised in Florida he knew an opossum when he saw one.

Carol Perry
Lyman, Washington
----- Original Message -----
From: Kelly McAllister
To: Tweeters
Sent: Friday, January 25, 2008 5:57 PM
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Starling habitat, native mammals


Where is there a shread of evidence that opossums got here on their own? At the time of Dalquest's "Mammals of Washington," published in 1948, Opossums had only recently appeared in Washington and were known from Clear Lake in Skagit County and South Bend in Pacific County. At the time, it was recognized that Opossums had become well established in California and Oregon because of human transport and release. Opossums may have spread naturally into Washington from Oregon but they didn't get to Oregon on their own. To me, they're just as non-native as the Eastern Gray Squirrels and Nutria.

Kelly McAllister
Olympia, Washington




----- Original Message -----
From: Robert Pisano
To: Tweeters
Sent: Friday, January 25, 2008 4:58 PM
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Starling habitat, native mammals


Katie,

Unlike the Eastern Gray Squirrel, which was deliberately introduced to city parks in the American and Canadian west, the Opossum arrived here on its own and without the intentional intervention of humans. Like the Anna's Hummers who enjoy the micro-habitats that we have created and which have enabled their expansion, the Opossum in the Northwest can be considered to be self-introduced and therfore, a native (i.e., naturally occurring) mammal.

Robert Pisano
Ravenna, Seattle



On Jan 25, 2008, at 12:43 PM, Messick, Katie wrote:


Hi Tweets,

I live in a very urban neighborhood with lots of concrete and lawn and
few large trees, and subsequently we have a substantial population of
starlings. However, I replaced my lawn with a "forest" of small trees
(still saplings at this point) and a varied, largely native understory,
and I almost never see starlings in my yard. I do have a caged squirrel
proof suet feeder, and from time to time a couple starlings from the
flock feeding on the neighbor's lawn will make an attempt at the suet,
but that just gives me an opportunity to examine their beautiful,
still-fresh plumage more closely. They always leave within a few
minutes and rejoin the throngs next door. If we provided less habitat
for starlings (the beloved American lawn), we'd have fewer of them
around our houses. I can't make my tiny urban plot into a haven like
the woods, ravines and other spreads I wistfully imagine when many of
you post about your yard sightings, but the birds I do have are still
many and mostly native.

As for mammals -- I hate to say it, but the oppossum is no more native
to the Pacific northwest than the eastern gray squirrel. The only
mammals that pre-dated European arrivals I've seen in my neighborhood
are raccoons. I do enjoy the antics of the eastern grays, though,
especially as they persistently try and fail to access my birdfeeders.
If only they were Douglas squirrels, as Dennis wished!

Robert Pisano wrote:
"And yes, I share your sentiments about the absence of native mammals
from our urban scene. Although I did have an Opossum last week in full
daylight, easily the size of a Warthog!"


Katie Sauter Messick
Wallingford neighborhood, Seattle
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