Montclair Shelter: Be Kind To Opossums In Winter (Here’s Why)

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Don’t judge a book by its cover. Especially when you’re dealing with opossums, the Montclair Animal Shelter says.

The municipally run shelter put out an unusual plea on Thursday in the name of a local mammal that faces particularly high health risks when it snows. Here’s what the shelter wrote on Facebook about the opossum (not to be confused with the “possum”):

“Please be nice to opossums if you find them in your barns, garages or sheds. They are North America's only marsupial (pouched mammal) and they are ill-equipped for the snow. They have no fur on their feet, ears or tail, so are very susceptible to frost bite. Often when opossums are seen, they are ravaged by frostbite, so they are missing toes, missing part of their tails, and their ears are crumpled.”

Montclair shelter staff continued:

“They are beautiful, gentle animals and one of the few mammals that rarely, if ever, get rabies. Why? Because they have a normal body temperature that is below most other mammals. The rabies virus can't survive at this lower body temperature. A healthy opossum's normal reaction to the presence of a human is to stay still, open its mouth and drool. This is a normal reaction! Many people think these are symptoms of rabies in an opossum and that is not true! Opossums are not athletes. They can't run, fast, jump or climb well, so their only defense is to be very still, and show you all 52 of their teeth and pray that you just go away. Please, be kind to opossums! Please remember these little guys are the front line for tick control too.”

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While a few people responded that the animals weren’t welcome on their property due to health concerns, several Montclair residents seconded the shelter’s fondness for the quirky marsupial:

• “I love the opossum that comes on my porch to grab a quick meal. I even clear a path and put rugs down so whoever comes can get their feet off of the cold, even if for a little while.”
• “They are great tick control. Welcome on my property anytime.”
• “How could you be mean to something so cute?”

What’s your reaction when you see an opossum? Let us know in the comments section. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Montclair Facebook page here.

Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site here. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Photo: YouTube / AMomentofSciencePBS