Outdoor Ontario
Wildlife Reports => Toronto Wildlife => Topic started by: David Shilman on July 30, 2006, 06:11:51 PM
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I'm anxious to view a LIVE specimen of this critter. On the previous board, sightings in west-end Toronto were reported. Does anyone on this board see them regularly in their neighbourhood? Occasionally?
Let's post some sightings!
Thanks,
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We've had opposums on the back patio of our local watering hole in Parkdale for years. The first time I saw one I nearly had a heart attack, I was like "What the #@$! is *that*?" I had no idea Opposums made it this far north. Last fall there was a baby there nearly all the time, quite tame and inquisitve. I haven't seen any this year, though.
Julia
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Hello.
I was wondering if anyone could tell me where opposums came from. Did they travel from the states? I am pretty sure that I have seen/experienced two in Toronto's southeast end- one under my deck and one crossing the road (unless it was an albino racoon!). Thanks in advance.
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"Virginia opossums are native to the Nearctic and found in North America and Central America. They are the only marsupial that is native to someplace other than the Austrailian region. In the United States Virginia opossums are found on the West Coast and in areas east of the Rocky Mountains. They range south through most of Central America. They are expanding their range northwards and are now found in southern Ontario, Canada. Populations of Virginia opossum found west of the Rocky Mountains in the United States were introduced there by humans, it is not part of their natural range."
Where abouts in SE Toronto? What main intersection?
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Mr. shilman
I posted an image a few months ago of a "Possum". I reposted it in my Gallery titled "Nappers recent shots" when the original site dissappeared
I remember the date Mar 11, 2006
:lol: Napper :lol:
Still way up here in "Gods" country (1600 km from home) leaving in the morning for home. I have all kinds of neat stuff to share in my gallery..
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Thank you for the information on opposums. Where I have seen them is nearest to Main and Danforth but I have not seen one since late May, early June. I have also seen a family of fox recently. There were three together, maybe two of them young, and they ran off when they saw my dogs.
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I haven't seen any yet in TO but as to how far north they are travelling - my friend lives on Lake Simcoe by Sutton and they have a family of them up there. How they handle the winter is beyond me!
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The furthest north I've seen one was SE of Wiarton (near Shallow Lake), on Hwy 6 (dead--I've never seen a live one).
David
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I know you really want to see a live one, but I thought I'd mention that I saw a dead one in Toronto today.
They are relatively common in south Etobicoke, but I think their distribution is a bit spotty. Some people see them all the time but people living a few blocks away never see them. I see them occasionally around my house, but I haven't seen one this year. The dead one I saw today was an adult, lying in the middle of Thirtieth Street, just north of Lakeshore Blvd. W.
I'll keep an eye out for a reliable live one.
BB
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I know you really want to see a live one, but I thought I'd mention that I saw a dead one in Toronto today.
(snip)
I'll keep an eye out for a reliable live one.
BB
Thanks BB,
David
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Bumping this up...anyone seen one lately?
David
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I've seen 4 oppossums this summer in the High park area, near Keele and Bloor.
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I've seen 4 oppossums this summer in the High park area, near Keele and Bloor.
In what type of area? A back lane? Backyard? Out on Bloor St? Just curious...
Thanks,
David
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hi, one sighting was in my backyard on Indian Road Crescent, one on the patio of Whenlan's gate Pub, and 2 crossing the road on Kelle, all have been at night, I haven't seen any since July.
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sorry, my typing is awful, it should say Whelan's Gate Pub and Keele street.
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I have seen a live opossum in my front yard each of the last two years. I'm in Etobicoke between Kipling and Islington south of eglinton and north of Rathburn. I also saw a dead one this year in the old kingsway.
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An a Opussum slithered through my yard this evening around 9:30 pm way out here in the styx of Milton.
I have not seen one here since March..
Napper :lol:
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I saw the Mezzrow's opossum a couple of weeks ago, taking advantage of the remaining grapes on the vines over the back patio. A friend had an encounter with one on the patio of the Cadillac Lounge, apparently it couldn't get enough of the smell of his feet. It may have been the same one, but they're a few blocks apart. Also saw one squished at Queen and Dunn, don't know if it was either or both of the barflies.
Julia
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Below is a pic of "Virginia", who made nightly visits beneath one of our backyard birdfeeders here in Mississauga last winter. We have a cottage at Sauble Beach, and we've found carcasses of possums well north of Wiarton in the recent past. One of my sons, whilst doing fieldwork for his M.Sc.F. at U of T this summer, found a juvenile possum in one of his Sherman 5x5x15 traps and was very surprised at how docile the animal was!
(http://www3.sympatico.ca/sabrinus/Other/possum.jpg)
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Below is a pic of "Virginia"...
Great pic. If it's regular next winter, I want to come and see it! :D
I saw the Mezzrow's opossum...
Huh?
David
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A couple of years ago now (3? 4? ) there was a short report in the local (Alliston) paper of a possum found in Barrie, suffering from frostbitten toes. From that I'd inferred that they didn't winter well up here but if they're in Wiarton (northern Bruce Peninsula) they obviously do get by!
As to the how, I heard this story years ago "from a guy". (Sorry, can't recall the source and never tried to verify it. ) Apparently some of the fruit trucks bound for Canada - peaches were mentioned - are loaded at night in Georgia and so on and the possums stow away on board. Accidentally, one assumes. As I said, I never tried to verify this but it would explain how they get across the Niagara frontier, a substantial barrier and one which is currently keeping a new and nasty strain of rabies confined to the US and out of Ontario. For what it's worth.
Saw my first live possum this July past here in Alliston but have been seing roadside corpses for half a dozen years at least.
Peter
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I saw my first opossum in early Oct in my back yard, but haven't seen it again since. Like others it took me by surprise - thought it was a giant rat at first! My house is on Vermont Ave, just SE of Dupont & Christie and it was walking along my side fence. We have quite a population of racoons; do they fight each other for territory???
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As I went out to last night to take my puppy out for his last run, we both heard this noise. Low and behold I looked at the back of my fence and saw this animal slithering across the top of it. He had the elongated nose, was the size of a cat and had the tail of a rat. Upon looking on the net I stumbled across this board and found some pictures of the animal that I saw, which I can say that I saw a possum. I didn't think we had them up here in Ontario. Anyways this creature was spoted in Bradford, Ontario, approximately 10 minutes north of Newmarket. I mentioned it to my neighbours today and my friend told me that she is always seeing them by her work at Finch and Weston Road. We will definately keep our eyes and ears open and I will try to have the camera near by.
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Apparently Opossums are now a year round occurrence.
12:30 am two nights ago, I sighted a possum/Opossum in my neighbours yard, a large one
heading for my yard most likely to nest/roost/sleep under my deck . Once he saw me he ran, climbed
fence and headed East .
:lol: I could have had some fun with this post but "Billy Bob" and "Billy Michelle Bob" talked me out of it..:lol:
Napper :lol:
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Two friends and I saw 3 young foxes approx 7pm late Summer on Brampton greenbelt playfully enjoying the evening for about 15 mins. Never seen since.
A first for me at the house in 24 years: a skunk at end of back garden one morning when I opened the curtains at 6:30am.
Quite a shock to see a white stripe moving across the lawn!
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My first Opossum of the year was a dead one at the side of the ramp from EB 401 to SB 427 this afternoon. It can be a dangerous ramp in a car: much more hazardous for an Opossum!
BB
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My first Opossum of the year was a dead one at the side of the ramp from EB 401 to SB 427 this afternoon. It can be a dangerous ramp in a car: much more hazardous for an Opossum!
BB
Why does everyone lose their mind when the right lane ends once you get around that curve? LOL :D
I wouldn't be surprised if the Possum commited suicide.
.
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Opossums moved gradually northwards to the GTA about 20 to 25 years ago...I live in Grey county and have seen opossums in the area...not sure how far north they go...
What really floored me was the sight of 2 coyotes crossing bloor street just west of the old mill...they moved from some dupsters behind an apt. building across bloor to a cemetary...it was around 2 a.m. a few years ago.
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This message is for David, if he is still Opossum hunting!
I just identified the critter that is visiting my garden as an Opossum - and he is alive.
I think it is a Virginia Opossum, and I live in downtown Toronto near the lake. (near Tip Top Tailors)
I have seen him twice, he is the size of a big rabbit, light coloured brown tipped fur, brown nose and mottled tail - and boy does he stink!
He is welcome to stay as long as he likes.
Turtle
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This message is for David, if he is still Opossum hunting!...
STILL hoping to see a live one.
David
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That is a great px of the possum. I have never seen one
but my friend who resides in Acton used to have
them at her backporch, babies as well.
This is O/T, but have any of you ever seen a Fisher
(cat) I believe it is called in Ontario.
I can start a new thread if needed.
As for the coyotes, I believe they have also been
seen at Mt. Pleasant cemetary previously.
:)
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I spotted an Opossum 20:00h November 14 2007 in my yard near Broadacres Park Etobicoke.
Link to Google Map (http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&hl=en&ll=43.648265,-79.569447&spn=0.011552,0.019784&t=h&z=16&om=1)
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December 10 2007: There were Opossum tracks in the fresh snow on my patio this morning.
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The Possum push just keeps happening. I have seen Possums walking across snow nw of Barrie January 2004 . When I was at university in Guelph I saw them push north 5-10km per year. Now Possum are quite common there. As for the east side of toronto They have not seemed to get much of a foothold in Durham region yet.
Fishers
One of my favorite Animals. Best time to see them is in late winter and at night. I have encountered them almost everytime I do an Owl survey in the Bancroft area. The Deer yard se of Apsley to Petroglyghs provincial park (ne of peterborough) is a good area to look for them in feb- early april.
Coyotes
They are basically everywhere there is a creek ravine or railine in the gta. I have seen them watching GO trains pass by them near the danforth station. Old fields adajcent to urban areas and joining the above mentioned corridors are the easiest places to see them.
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...As for the east side of toronto They have not seemed to get much of a foothold in Durham region yet...
Most GTA sightings are in the west end. :cry:
David
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Ilive near the rouge valley and I've seen dead oppossum floating in the mouth of highland creek and live near bloor and bathurst to jane in the last 5 years. They are here and well addapted. GLOBAL WARMING OR JUST A PLOT? Who knows!
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I have friends who had one in their back yard this week. They live near Leslie and Sheppard, and in reviewing this thread, there was one report around Main and Danforth, so there are some occurrences east of Yonge, but most are in Etobicoke and surrounds.
David
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Hi - where abouts in Etobicoke might they be hanging out?
Mike
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Hi - where abouts in Etobicoke might they be hanging out?
Mike
Go back over this thread for some leads. Good luck.
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Etobicoke possums eh, this is my best one from Etobicoke creek enjoy:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh26 ... G_0676.jpg (http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh265/jeffnature/IMG_0676.jpg)
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Happy New Year.
Good news!
My Virginia Oppossum is back!!! (Downtown Toronto)
Or maybe he never went away!
Last night, raining, 10pm, chomping on some snacks I had left beside my compost bin for the birds etc.
Unhurriedly climbed off the wall and in behind a large flowerpot in my patio. Maybe he has been living there all along!
I will make sure he has some dry leaves for his bed now; and I know if he is there - no rats will be! And if the co-op had a rat problem, they don't anymore.
I only managed to get a photo of his rump, but will keep my camera handy, will try to post the photos soon.
Turtle
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where exactly in toronto (street inter section?)
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Bathurst and Queen's Quay West approx. My patio, high rise garden courtyard area, surrounded by buildings and protected from streets. Lots of garbage bins etc to keep him busy. Don't know if a lone Oppossum would likely be a male or female? Am thinking male, so finally decided to call him Horace Oppossum. :0)
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At 8:20 pm this evening a very dark looking Opossum appeared at our back door..
My wife had just tossed a bag of garbage out there for me to take to the garbage cans around the side of the house..
I was sitting in the same position I am in right now when I noticed it 12 inches from the door. My wife was reading on the love seat when I told her to look over
the back of the chair. It became a family affair quite quickly, the kids and the cat. We were all at the back door.
This shot is taken thru the back door with a flash of course. I cropped out most of the reflection in the glass..
Napper :D p.s the correct time of the post is 9:01 pm
(http://outdoorontario.net/Gallery/albums/album09/possum.jpg)
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Nice!
Off to throw some garbage out the back door,
David
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All though I do by a loto every time I get to see a live Opossum hear in Ontareo ( thay still remind me ove the Beverly hillbilys )
I also am reminded that thay are Egg suskers and do reade bird nest !! :(
thay are not bird frndly !! sorey to have to add this in but I hope to keep them a long way from our house and our nesting birds
Craig
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Hey!
at 4:40 am this morning before heading off to work I spotted an Opossum on my deck munching on black oil seeds that I put down for the Junko's.
My Cat was at the back sliding door watching intently.. I returned 15 minutes later and watched it run under my deck.. A rabbit appeared
and moved to the spot where the seeds were and started munching.
Happy Family Day, Napper :D
Milton, Ont
Napper corrected the time of the sighting
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Opossum under the bird feeder right now.. 9:33 pm..
Raccoon stuck on the neighbours roof and won't come down.. A little scary watching the dude next door running around on the roof in the rain with a shovel trying to coax it to the back of the house (they put a board from upper roof to lower roof) so it would climb down...
I think all of the snow must have melted that helped it get to the upper roof
I dunno
Napper..
I couldn't make this up if I tried.... :D
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Opossum under the bird feeder right now.. 9:33 pm..
Raccoon stuck on the neighbours roof and won't come down.. A little scary watching the dude next door running around on the roof in the rain with a shovel trying to coax it to the back of the house (they put a board from upper roof to lower roof) so it would climb down...
Years ago a cat was on our roof and couldn't figure out how to get down. I finally had to pull my car up close enough so she could jump on its roof. Of course, being a cat, she acted nonchalant as if she meant to stay on the roof all the time!
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The Raccoon was gone this morning when I left for work
around 5:00 :)
I am impressed with the Oppossums they seem to take well to the snow. I just now remembered spotting one last Friday night moving down the street in storm not much different than the one we are getting right now.
More snow again! ugh
Napper :)
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tonight arroud 6 pm my wife through out a few cans
minutes later the cat was acting funny by the back door..
apparently Opossums like tomato sauce..and peanut butter
(http://outdoorontario.net/Gallery/albums/album09/Scartycat.jpg)(http://outdoorontario.net/Gallery/albums/album09/possum_001.jpg)
Napper :lol:
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A little Funny guy , and not afraid of Cat even , i have heard , these fellows have a strong jaws
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I have heard from a reliable source that the opposums are now up in grey county...north of Mount Forest...they're creepin' north...
So what is the ecological fallout of their spread?
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My mother had one visit her campsite at Sauble Beach PP in the early to mid 90's. It came at nite, routing around probably for food or bugs.
I have been told if a farm or barn discovers one has been on the hay that is fed to horses, that it has to be all destroyed(the hay that is and the opposum, if it gets caught), as the opposum carry a parasite that gives horses EPM (sorry don't know the long term) and it can be fatal.
The barn where I keep my horse has told us, if we ever see one on the property, come arunnin' to the house to get someone!!!!!!!!!
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What a fantastic picture.. I never thought they were
so big. they are not too cute looking
Imagine your cat, he was glued to the window
This is interesting about the horses, as well
Tks for posting
Egret
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I had never heard of this thing with opossums and horses, and I have been around horses a bit. Clearly it is a true risk - but I don't think it is all that common (wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equine_Protozoal_Myeloencephalitis) says it is rare).
Check this out http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/horses/facts/epm.htm, prevention of infection includes several actions other than killing the opossums, and note that killing them w/o licence is illegal.
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And I saw one about a half hour ago here in Port Credit (Mississauga)...they can really move. So are they good to eat?
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My wife saw one last evening outside my workplace @ Woodbine & Hwy 7.
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Last week their was a giant opposum in my backyard (Dundas West/Dupont). At first i thought it was some sort of mutant rat but after researching pics on the internet i realized it was an opposum, bizarre. It was quite extraordinary because my female cat Sylvia was sitting literally inches in front of it and they were just staring at one another. Apparently there are quite a few in the High Park area.
Eliza
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I just received an urgent request from a reporter from the Globe and Mail. He is doing a story on the increase in Opossum sightings and wants to speak to someone who has seen one. The story will be in Saturday's paper and his deadline is Tuesday night. If you can help him out with your story of a sighting, he can be reached here;
Josh Wingrove
(416) 585-5467
(647) 828-1808 cel
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Here's the article from yesterday's Globe.
http://tinyurl.com/5n2oay (http://tinyurl.com/5n2oay)
The couple mentioned are the friends I referenced earlier in this thread.
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I look forward to someday seeing one. Preferably within photo distance...preferably not hiding in a backpack. Wouldnt that have been a heck of a shocker finding an Oppossum in your stroller? Thats abit too close.
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Hi Possum Lovers,
The other afternoon while off to one of my favourite birding sites I came upon a dead opossum. I'm guessing the poor little guy was probably hit by a car or something and then moved to the side of the road and placed to rest on the edge of a lawn. This was on a side street just east of the intersection of Brimley Road & Kingston Road in Scarborough. Sadly my first sighting of one of these critters happens to be a dead one.
Walter
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Hi Possum Lovers,
... on a side street just east of the intersection of Brimley Road & Kingston Road in Scarborough...
There aren't a whole lot of sightings that far east. It must have passed my house on the way there. :-) Just 8 kms away.
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Yap thay have bin seen at Cranbeery march and lind shouers in Whitby !! :shock: I do hope thay stay away from my
back yard !!!! :P
Craig
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found one on the sied of the rood yesterday sept 26 08 at liynd shouers .... :(
Craig
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Its Feb. 1st. , I have an oppossum in my cabbagetown garden. I didnt realise we had them in Toronto. Do they not hibernate? It looks a bit frostbitten on the ears, maybe that is normal.
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So anyone got a recipe for 'possum pie?
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Its Feb. 1st. , I have an oppossum in my cabbagetown garden. I didnt realise we had them in Toronto. Do they not hibernate? It looks a bit frostbitten on the ears, maybe that is normal.
Still around?
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For what it is worth (since this is an older thread), I had a possum up my tree a couple of nights ago. I thought it was a small raccoon until I looked with a flashlight. This is the first time I have seen a live one, I've seen one hit along the road a few years ago. I live two blocks from a heavily wooded area in Levi Creek (Derry/Mississauga Road).
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Saw one in front of a buddys house in Mississauga last summer after his cat warned us about it, even the cat was afraid to go near it. Was quite a site at 3am.
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I saw an opossum crossing Fuller avenue near Marion street while riding my bike... It was about midnight... may 20th
amazing... tail looked like a parsnip...
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Gardeners in the Mt Pleasant Cemetery report that they saw an opossum about a week ago - they didn't know what it was at first....
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I haven't seen may posts regarding Opossums on this site lately however, I have had one visit my house twice in the past week. Given it was during the day light (mid-afternnoon) and extremely cold, I was quite surprised. Living in north Whitby and near a creek and forest even my neighbours haven't seen one in the past. Guess they are on the move.
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My sister just told me that she trapped one in a "live" cage , that was in her barn .. last weekend. She lives in Stouffvillle. They took it further North and released it. So they are around !!
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I'm 99% certain I have one living under my shed. I posted pics in another thread here in the Toronto Wildlife section. I've seen him/her a number of times over the winter.
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If anybody who's still on the forum has a great Toronto possum story and would be interested in being interviewed for an article I'm writing, please send me an email at cadmus@interlog.com. Many thanks!
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If anybody who's still on the forum has a great Toronto possum story and would be interested in being interviewed for an article I'm writing, please send me an email at cadmus@interlog.com. Many thanks!
Nothing from me, Sarah, but I hope you post a link to your article once it's published.
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It'll be on the site called YongeStreet.com. I'll try to remember to post a link!
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It'll be on the site called YongeStreet.com. I'll try to remember to post a link!
I just looked at that site, and it seems to have zero content. Are you sure that's the URL? (Did you mean http://www.yongestreetmedia.ca/ (http://www.yongestreetmedia.ca/))
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Doh! Of course, yes. They run stories about Toronto innovation, environment, diversity and so on.