Sunday, December 29, 2013

Virginia Opossum Winter Report

(please click on image, then click again, to embiggen) 




43 degrees today!  Why it’s a post-Christmas meltdown! The mild and sunny weather since the holiday has given us a special gift at Bon Bon Pond: the appearance of a beloved nocturnal resident.    The Virginia Opossum is usually a creature of the night—but also an opportunist.  These sweet little marsupials are not native to Minnesota and thus struggle for survival with brutal cold temps.  During periods of winter warmth they will come out in daylight and look for food. A few days back I discovered a teeny tiny little opossum walking down the driveway.  Based on his diminutive stature I am assuming he is the offspring of Pedro, who played a starring role in Reflections first (and, to-date, only) video.  As such, Chandel named him Pedro Jr. or PJ for short.  What a perfect moniker:  two letters are just about his size! 

PJ was back again today to dine on the seeds I scatter on the ground around the feeders but this time I was determined to follow the lil’ fella to see where he went after dinner.  To my delight, I saw that he has taken up residence in the abandoned woodchuck burrow beneath the gazebo.  It’s good to know he has a safe and cozy spot in which to ride out the winter with a plentiful food supply close at hand.


(please click on image, then click again, to embiggen)


3 comments:

  1. I'm so glad PJ has taken up residence at Bon Bon Pond. He will be in good company!

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  2. He's adorable. How nice to have his company! Wish it was as warm here. It's minus 28. How large is PJ?

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  3. He's pretty small, Choo. I'm going to put up a long shot of him so it will be easier to get a better idea of his size. He didn't come out for his cat food yesterday but I'm not worried as they don't forage every day in winter--especially when it's so cold. Do you have Virginia Opossums in your part of Canada? I hope not as they are not designed to handle extreme temps. Many suffer frostbite on their tiny tails and little pink feet.

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