opossum living under shed

[tollster]

Blind him with the car lights or a bright light, they are nocturnal so its fairly easy, then sneak up behind him, quickly..as I said, quickly...grab him behind the neck like you would a cat then relocate him using a box or something....its more fun if you're drinking.... and reminds me of my younger days cruising the country roads on a Saturday night with friends.. and no..we never got bit...

[Qtrborecrazy]

When those golden green eyes light up at night a 17 HMR does wonders.

[Pilot321]

Blind him with the car lights or a bright light, they are nocturnal so its fairly easy, then sneak up behind him, quickly..as I said, quickly...grab him behind the neck like you would a cat then relocate him using a box or something....its more fun if you're drinking.... and reminds me of my younger days cruising the country roads on a Saturday night with friends.. and no..we never got bit...

I'd be careful here, especially if drinking. Many of these are carriers of Rabies. Many small animals like squirrels, fox, opossum, etc are carriers. YOU may not have been bit, but others may not be so skilled nor lucky.

[zeroflat24]

Blind him with the car lights or a bright light, they are nocturnal so its fairly easy, then sneak up behind him, quickly..as I said, quickly...grab him behind the neck like you would a cat then relocate him using a box or something....its more fun if you're drinking.... and reminds me of my younger days cruising the country roads on a Saturday night with friends.. and no..we never got bit...

yeah no offense but that sounds like a horrible idea. Grabbing a scared animal with your bare hands. No thanks. Id shoot it and be done.

[Here4now]

I'd be careful here, especially if drinking. Many of these are carriers of Rabies. Many small animals like squirrels, fox, opossum, etc are carriers. YOU may not have been bit, but others may not be so skilled nor lucky.

Not quite correct. The incidence of rabies in squirrels and `possums is almost zero – if at all.

But that’s not to say its a great idea to grab a `possum. While they are somewhat docile, they do have a mouthful of teeth – 50 – the most of any mammal.

[Pilot321]

Not quite correct. The incidence of rabies in squirrels and `possums is almost zero – if at all.

But that’s not to say its a great idea to grab a `possum. While they are somewhat docile, they do have a mouthful of teeth – 50 – the most of any mammal.

Do you have a source for those stats? My dad was a dentist, and on our local board of health and indicated they saw many incidence of rabies in wild animals, including squirrels and possums. Not saying he couldn't be wrong. When I was a teenager he actually was NEVER right.

[Here4now]

Do you have a source for those stats? My dad was a dentist, and on our local board of health and indicated they saw many incidence of rabies in wild animals, including squirrels and possums. Not saying he couldn't be wrong. When I was a teenager he actually was NEVER right.

I didn’t state wild animals couldn’t contract rabies. Any mammal (wild or domestic) can contract rabies with some classified as rabies vector species, such as: coons, skunks, foxes, and bats.

But with regards to my statement about `possums and squirrels, here’s just a couple of links:

A lot of people who call the hotline have the wrong idea about opossums. No, they do not have rabies. In fact it is EXTREMELY rare if even POSSIBLE for opossums to get rabies because their body temperature is too low for rabies to survive and replicate well. The usual reason people think they have rabies is the drooling that opossums do when approached and scared.

http://www.wildlifehotline.com/welco...mals/opossums/

In general they present a far lower health risk to humans than do dogs and cats! They seem to have a naturally high level of immunity to most diseases. Example? Opossums are more resistant to rabies than any other mammal; cattle, goats, dogs, cats, sheep, and the ice cream man are far more susceptible to rabies!

http://www.opossum.org/

And, as distasteful as it is to quote anything from the HSUS:

· Rodents (squirrels, chipmunks, rats, mice, hamsters, gerbils, and guinea pigs), rabbits, and hares rarely get rabies and have not been known to cause rabies among humans in the United States. Squirrels may suffer from the fatal roundworm brain parasite, which causes signs that look exactly like rabies.
· Opossums are amazingly resistant to rabies. Hissing, drooling, and swaying are part of the opossum's bluff routine. It is intended to scare away potential predators, yet it looks just like rabies and is the reason people can be convinced they’re seeing “rabid opossums” when they’re not.

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals...ts/rabies.html

[Philbert]

Isn't it cicada season soon? An opossum might come in handy.

[Pilot321]

Here4now. That is good info. Thanks.

[heatheroo]

Not quite correct. The incidence of rabies in squirrels and `possums is almost zero – if at all.

But that’s not to say its a great idea to grab a `possum. While they are somewhat docile, they do have a mouthful of teeth – 50 – the most of any mammal.

to be precise, opossums are not mammals. They are marsupials. The only marsupial in N. America