WILDLIFE AT HOME (2)

Virginia Opossum

Since a few days we have another visitor in our front yard. Although mostly nocturnal this Virginia Opossum used the daylight in the early afternoon to feed below our bird feeders during the last couple days. They can vary in size but this one is rather small and so we believe it is a young one. Opossums are omnivorous and eat a wide range of plants and animals. Probably due to their relative low body temperature they are resistant to rabies. The possum helps also to limit the spread of lyme disease because they successfully kill off most disease-carrying ticks that feed on them. (source: Wikipedia) 

Yesterday I made a number of clicks but wasn’t really happy with the results. A gray overcast and snow just don’t go together very well, especially with a critter that has some white and gray in its fur. Today the sun was out and that was a game changer. The sun didn’t have a lot of power and with an exposure compensation of +1.33 EV the highlights were still in a healthy range.

As I’m writing this blog post I just read that one Virginia Opossum can kill and eat up to 5000 ticks in a single season! I tell you what, this little guy can live here as long as it wants…

All images: Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head

IT WAS ABOUT TIME

Virginia Opossum -----------

It was time to go down south today. I haven’t been in the Green Island Wetlands for quite some time and understandably during the winter the expectations to see a lot of wildlife are on a lower level. I enjoyed being away from the “cabin” and just wanted to get a feeling for the landscape again. To my surprise I found some critters and one of them was this Virginia Opossum. This solitary and mostly nocturnal animal is the only marsupial found north of Mexico.

This possum was in search for food between the dry reeds and along the iced over canals in Green Island. They are opportunists and eat a wide range of plants and animals. Opossums are very resistant to rabies, most likely due to a low body temperature. They also limit the spread of lyme disease, as they successfully kill off most disease-carrying ticks that feed on them (source: Wikipedia). I wish the deer would do the same...😏

My photo library shows that the last time I had a Virginia Opossum in front of the camera was already nine years ago. With other words, it was about time to make a few clicks of this actually not so uncommon critter.