Possum in Eastern Ontario

jimmyjazz

jimmyjazz

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So I live just south of Belleville in Prince Edward County and driving into the shop today I spot the strange looking road kill up ahead.
There was too much traffic to pull over but I did slow down for a good look and there was a huge Possum laying there ???

In-laws are all farmers out here and have been for generations and they have never seen one and are sure I was mistaken.
Hoping its still there on the way home so I can get a picture for them.

It was a lot bigger than I thought Possum's get but apparently they can get pretty big.


JJ
 
Interesting to read they are found north. My wife and I lived outside Kemptville 93 to 2000 and never heard of them being in Ontario back then.

Nasty creatures. My first experience with them has been since moving to Oklahoma and buying 14 acres. They carry a disease called EPM (equine protozoa myeloencephalitis) which is nasty for horses. Number 8 or 7 1/2 has worked well.
 
One triggered my motion sensor light .... went to have a look and was surprised at the size! Like a 'pot bellied pig' ... also had a nest of them in one of my sheds in the spring... odd smell. The neighbours 'Labs' were mesmerized by the odour -- they would sit downwind in the corner of their fenced yard with their noses in the air and eyes half closed!
 
They are definitely around Ontario. I lived in the Kingston area (Yarker) and encountered one (also roadkill) in my years there. Since I've moved to the other side of Lake Ontario there are definitely a lot more on the side of the road and a week ago I had this on my trail cam:
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Lots of possums in GTA. I see them almost daily, whether they are road kill or snooping around my house. My cat killed one a few years ago and started ripping it apart to eat. It wasn't a baby, but certainly not full grown either. I heard a rumour that the City of Mississauga actually released some in the wild to help control the population of some other critter, but I dont know how much truth there is to that
 
I saw my first one last night. I was sitting on my deck and was watching a couple of raccoons eating a leftover tortilla that I had thrown out on the back lawn for the squirrels. It was almost dark and the raccoons suddenly ran away. The along came the opossum and took over eating the tortilla. My wife took a picture with her cell phone and we compared it with pictures on Google images. The one we saw was about half the size of the raccoons. This was in Midtown Toronto where there is a lot of large trees and a ravine nearby.
 
Oh ya, and if you thought a racoon gets nasty don't pissed one these off. Seen a lot in and out of the GTA commuting from barrie over and up to the last 10yrs. Haven't seen one as far as barrie yet but sure wouldn't suprise me.
 
They must be slowly expanding their territory... I know they have been in Southern Ont and the greater Toronto area for awhile... they were never in Belleville when I grew up there in the 90s... but it would stand to reason they might be there now.

Can they go any farther than that really? I don't think they can handle a "real" winter. Friend of mine told me they are on the other side of the river at Brockville but that is the limit of their range?

Curiosity got the best of me and google says they have been in southern Ont since the 60s... perhaps they are in bigger numbers now and expanding due to milder winters?
 
CdnInAz said:
Interesting to read they are found north. My wife and I lived outside Kemptville 93 to 2000 and never heard of them being in Ontario back then.

Nasty creatures. My first experience with them has been since moving to Oklahoma and buying 14 acres. They carry a disease called EPM (equine protozoa myeloencephalitis) which is nasty for horses. Number 8 or 7 1/2 has worked well.
Click to expand...

At the same time they eat tons of ticks that gives you lime disease.

Have had them around north gta for over 10 years now. Sounds like they are moving east.
 
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