[RP TownTalk] Onslaught of Opossums in Neighborhood

[Alan Thompson and Sarah Wayland]

The opossum society (I am not making this up) answers this question  
on their "Frequently Asked Questions" page:

Question: Do opossums carry rabies?
Answer: Any mammal can get rabies. However, the chance of rabies in  
an opossum is EXTREMELY RARE. This may have something to do with the  
opossum’s low body temperature (94-97º F) making it difficult for the  
virus to survive in an opossum’s body.

See it in context at http://www.opossumsocietyus.org/ 
frequently_asked_questions.htm#Do%20opossums%20carry%20rabies?

	Alan


On Jun 8, 2007, at 8:03 AM, Lisa Grob wrote:

> Thanks for the heads up Iris. Do possums carry rabies? I think that  
> when
> wildlife lose their fear of humans they become more aggressive and
> comfortable around them and that is dangerous for animals and for  
> humans.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org
> [mailto:towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org] On Behalf Of Iris
> McLaurin-Southall
> Sent: Friday, June 08, 2007 1:29 AM
> To: towntalk at riverdale-park.org
> Subject: [RP TownTalk] Onslaught of Opossums in Neighborhood
>
> Onslaught of Opossums in Neighborhood
>
>
> Sky or I regularly come home between 1am-3am.  For the past three  
> weeks we
> have noticed that every night, there are 2 or more opossums  
> wandering the
> streets in our yard or neighbors yards and porches on Oliver Street.
>
> I am uncomfortable with their aggressiveness, and what appears to  
> be an
> increase recently.  I thought they are suppose to "play possum" and  
> become
> motionless if they feel threatened.  We stay completely out of  
> their, and do
> not make any attempt to
> run them away, nor to welcome them...but, they continue to advance  
> toward us
> if we happen to be in there path while trying to get out of the car.
>
> I decided to write about tonight, because I just heard the horrible  
> sounds
> of our neighbor's cat; I don't see a possum, and I am hoping that the
> possums are not attackers of any of the neighborhood pets.   I know  
> someone
> out there will educate me, no offense to the PETA people; I just  
> want to us
> all to be safe.   Bear, my dearly beloved Elk Hound died in 2000,  
> when we
> had the attack of the rabid raccoons.  Just want to be safe.
>
> Concerned for Us & You ...on Oliver Street
> (aka  Sky and Iris)
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> TownTalk mailing list
> To post to the list, send mail to TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
> TownTalk-request at riverdale-park.org is for automated subscription  
> processing
> only
> http://riverdale-park.org/mailman/listinfo/towntalk
>
> For more information about Riverdale Park, visit
> http://www.ci.riverdale-park.md.us
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> TownTalk mailing list
> To post to the list, send mail to TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
> TownTalk-request at riverdale-park.org is for automated subscription  
> processing only
> http://riverdale-park.org/mailman/listinfo/towntalk
>
> For more information about Riverdale Park, visit http:// 
> www.ci.riverdale-park.md.us