And let's not forget the required sanctimonious quote from an animal researcher “Our primates are essential partners in medical progress, as are mice, rats, guinea pigs and opossums. This place is celebrating its 10th year with ground-breaking research into what makes us all fat. By destroying the health of baboons with fast food. Fast food is bad for you? Really?) MORE

The prize for presentation goes to the folks who delivered this very small opossum to Michelle Wellard in Philadelphia. I am so happy to be back on 10,000 birds – I have missed Mike and Corey and my fellow Beat Writers! MORE

Later in the morning I came across an Opossum that had been sliced nearly in half by the mower and I imagine that it wasn’t the only casualty of the poorly planned mowing. On Saturday morning I was exploring the newly-mowed Edgemere Landfill, one of my favorite birding spots in Queens, enjoying birds like Eastern Meadowlarks and American Pipits , both of which seemed to appreciate two years of brush being removed. MORE

I wish people would start appreciating the misunderstood animals out there, like snakes and opossums,” wrote Elissa in New York. It’s August, and first on the menu is: Fried Rehabber. Summer is high season. The general public is out and about, birds and animals are raising their young, and human/wildlife interaction is at its peak. If you are a rehabber, this means your phone never stops ringing, your emergency services are in constant demand, and your stress level is off the charts. MORE

Jeff Gordon and I were wandering around the seriously disturbed habitat behind the airport hotel we stayed in outside of Budapest when a bizarre mammal about the size of an opossum crossed the path in front of us. “What the #*$% was that?!?!” ” It turns out it was a hedgehog, a Northern White-breasted Hedgehog to be exact. Neither of us had ever seen any species of hedgehog and it is no wonder that we were both surprised and excited to see such a cool little creature. MORE

I don't know if she was being sarcastic, but in my town I see dead armadillos, opossums, raccoons, all manner of turtles, and squirrels dead in the middle of the road frequently. I have wildlife/nonwildlife rescue paraphernalia in my car. A large box with airholes, a small one, a towel or two, a leash, soapy handwipes, you get the idea. MORE

When I rescued a mother opossum and her babies from a trashcan full of filthy water, she bit my finger,” said Bettina Bowers. And it wasn’t even the opossum, it was the nasty water.”. “My Injured wildlife are not the most cooperative of patients. Most of them think we’re trying to eat them, not help them. Frightened and defensive, they react accordingly. Wildlife rehabilitators have an arsenal of equipment and techniques we use to protect ourselves. MORE

I got a sewer rat a lady thought was a baby opossum,” chimed in Charis Palmer. “A “Here’s an idea for a blog,” wrote Donna Osburn, a wildlife rehabilitator from Kentucky. What’s your best misidentification of a bird?”. This is a great topic. It even has two parts. Rehabbers are constantly receiving birds misidentified by their finders; and on occasion some of us even receive birds we misidentify ourselves. MORE

4.Eastern flyway breeding populations appear to be maxing out their available habitat, and are subject to abundant natural limitations such as ground predation by coyotes, foxes, raccoons and opossums. As you’ll remember, Kentucky’s Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources unanimously passed its sandhill crane hunting proposal. All eight hunters on the commission think it’s a good idea to shoot cranes in Kentucky. The proposal now goes to the U.S. MORE

Naturalists examining old nests have identified raccoon, opossum, dog, fox squirrel, red squirrel, rabbit, horse, cow, cat, mouse, woodchuck, and even human hair in titmouse nests. There are many tales of a Tufted Titmouse taking hair from humans to use as nest-lining material. Watching a titmouse take hairs from a human is something I have always longed to see but I never considered how cool it might be to see a titmouse take hair from another creature. MORE

Like a Northern Goshawk on steroids with fancy plumage, these birds can take small monkeys, opossums, ibis, toucans, macaws, and other medium-sized animals of the rainforest. The tropical habitats of Costa Rica are home to a surprising number of raptor species. Although the country is around the same size as West Virginia, 39 species of diurnal raptors are on the list. MORE

Erubbermaids “Roughneck” homes create the perfect winter sanctuary for feral cats Opossums, raccoons and skunks. Other animals, like opossums, are more used to the cold but will take advantage of the spiffy new digs as well. If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to help the furry friends in your backyard, this is it. Feral cats are exposed to cold temperatures, wind and freezing rain in the winter. Erubbermaid “Roughneck” homes offers protection from the elements. MORE

Zealandia is one of those areas, where an entire valley has been set aside, with a rodent/weasel/opossum proof fence all the way around it. Our trip thru the South Island of New Zealand, is coming to a close, and in finishing the trip, we complete a “figure 8” pattern. Christchurch, south west to Te Anu, south to Bluff, east along the coast to Moraki, then turn north west to Franz Joseph (Glacier) and the Pancake Rocks. MORE