Possum ID requested if possible?

[Glen]

Would someone be able to tell me what sort of possum this is? It is fairly large about the size of a cat.

A supplementary question, what doesn't it like (besides a .243)? I have had a heap of little ringtails in my roof which went after I left mothballs and flouros on for 3 weeks in the roof, today I noticed this guy out the front eyeing off the bridge the electricity wires make from his tree to my roof.

[ATJ]

Glen,

It is a common brushtail possum. The only way to stop them from getting into your roof is get rid of any holes they can fit through.

[photohiker]

Nice capture.

I'm wondering about him being out and about in daylight.

Could be that he is displaced and thus looking for a patch. You could do worse than putting a possum hutch in the tree and make it more appealing than the house.

And no, .243 is not the solution, they are protected, except in NZ, where they are turned into jumpers.

Michael

[Glen]

Thanks Andrew and Michael, I will recheck the holes and the hutch suggestion is very novel and really along the lines of what I wanted to do. He was out in the open about 3m above a footpath at about 11 in the morning and looked disorientated, I felt like giving him an apple but didn't want to upset his diet

[Analog6]

possum box instructions: http://www.nana.asn.au/n2-pbox.htm and http://users.bigpond.net.au/ozbox/br_pos.htm

An apple will not upset his diet, much better than the bread and sugar some folks give them. They will become quite used to you intime. I had one on the farm who would eat from my hand and used to bring her babies every year to share the fruit we out out nightly.

[gstark]

Glen,

His name is Fred.

The only way to stop them from getting into your roof is get rid of any holes they can fit through.

Or get rid of the roof.

[ozimax]

222 cal

[Glen]

Odille, thanks for the instructions. I remember they can be tamed, my brother had a pet possum when we were young. I think I would like to visit him in a neighbouring park rather than share my humble abode. Gary I hope Fred isn't a transplanted Bondi resident? Ozi, my guests were all carrying Glocks, if it had been another sleepless night I may have been tempted

[gstark]

Gary I hope Fred isn't a transplanted Bondi resident?

No. Dat'd be Sean, to be sure to be sure.

[jethro]

Ozi I reckon a 318 would prove more impacting

Actually add a cat as well

[ozimax]

Ozi I reckon a 318 would prove more impacting

Actually add a cat as well

Not sure about the 318 but a 300 Weatherby Mag would do the job nicely. As for the cat, subtract a cat, not add!

Actually, I like possums as I do all native Australian animals. Now ferrals, that's another story...

[Bugeyes]

222, 318, 300WM... pfft... my Weihrauch air rifle could dispatch it just as well

[gstark]

Actually, I like possums

Yep.

Marinate overnight in barbeque sauce with a nudge of chipotle, and barbeque with some hickory or apple wood in a smoker.

[ozimax]

Marinate overnight in barbeque sauce with a nudge of chipotle

There just HAD to be chipotle in this recipe! It reminds me of a T shirt I saw in Michigan last month:

"Animals have their place - right next to the mashed potato, peas and gravy"