Whitenose

Recently, we were on our way out when we noticed a (somewhat small) possum lurking next our ramp. She snarled at us, but silently, and we realised something was wrong. In the past, when we've seen possums in our yard, they've been unafraid (with the exception of a little one who fell out of a tree). 

When she tried to walk, it was clear her back or hip had been damaged, likely by a car; she moved slowly, and with much difficulty, but she had no visible wounds. So we called a wildlife rehabilitator. The rehabber told us to get her in a box and then call back for directions. So we wrapped the possum -- we called her Whitenose because we both noticed how white her nose was -- in a towel and put her in a box. She didn't fight us; another bad sign. 

But the rehabber must have been busy with another patient, because when we called back for directions, she didn't answer. And didn't answer. And didn't answer. So we made a quick trip to drop off and pick up some books from our editor.

When we got back, Whitenose was dead. 

We put her in the back yard, near a shrub. She inspired us to learn a bit more about possums. The photo above is from www.nouveausoccermom.com, which was on Google Images (https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=856&q=possum&oq=possum&gs_l=img.3..0l10.5086.6156.0.6482.6.5.0.1.1.0.61.287.5.5.0...0.0.0..1ac.1.16.img.VDCko9H_xNo).  Here's what we know and what we found out from http://www.planetpossum.com/facts.htm and Mammals by William H. Burt and Richard P. Grossenheider: 

Possums are carrion eaters and scavengers. This is an important role to play in the ecosystem; if we didn't have animals eating the dead, we'd be knee-deep in corpses. 

Possums are marsupials; the females carry their young in pouches until they're old enough to ride on the mother's back (we've seen that, too). They may look like it, but possums are not rodents.  

Possums have prehensile tails; that means they can grasp things with their tails, like tree branches. They use their tails to climb and to carry nesting materials (both males and females build nests). The young are able to hang upside down by their tails for short periods of time. 

When confronted by a predator, possums often 'play possum,' or pretend they're dead, until the danger has passed. 

Because they are scavengers, possums will go through garbage. 

Possums are whitish grey in the north and grey to nearly black in the south. Older possums may have a brownish or reddish hue to their fur. Just this spring, we saw our first brown possum in the yard. 

The inside toe on a possum's hind paw is opposable, which aids in climbing. 

Possums are about the size of a house cat.