Awesome Possum

Ah, the travails of motherhood. Amazing how mothers continue on even in the harshest of environments: a jungle, a desert, or an alley in Albany Park. One opossum wouldn't let her urban surroundings keep her from her motherly duties of stowing her wee ones in her pouch (they are marsupials, after all). It also happens to be the winner of "The Most Disturbing Pic We've Seen All Week." Safe For Work but NSFTFOH (Not Safe For The Faint Of Heart). Check it out, along with a note from the photographer, after the jump.

2008_08_21_possum.jpg

In an email exchange with Chicagoist, the photographer, Detroit Chris, said:

I just came across it last night, it was in the alley behind my house in Albany Park. It wasn't moving much but its little ones seemed like they were trying to get out. It occasionally lifted its head and looked at me snapping shots. After a few minutes with it, I went on and walked my dogs, when I got back she was gone...

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Comments (5) [rss]

Sooooo I was gonna talk about having once ate possum stew cooked by my Aunt Merk. The I saw the picture.

Thanks Chicagoist for ruining my dinner!

Spook - no whining. you were warned. I suggest a salad instead.

Is it possible it was playing dead because of the dog?

Albanyparkour:
That's what I thought... it might have been reacting to the dog's presence.

From the Wiki Encylopedia:

When threatened or harmed, they will "play possum", mimicking the appearance and smell of a sick or dead animal. The lips are drawn back, teeth are bared, saliva foams around the mouth, and a foul-smelling fluid is secreted from the anal glands. The physiological response is involuntary, rather than a conscious act. Their stiff, curled form can be prodded, turned over, and even carried away. The animal will regain consciousness after a period of minutes or hours and escape. Many injured opossums have been killed by well-meaning people who find a catatonic animal and assume the worst.

Bon Appétit!

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