Possum Trot

We passed a road recently named Possum Trot. It is memorable, whimsical. I like it!

This possum was on the side of the road near the lighthouse.

Look how long the whiskers are!

Possums are our only marsupial: the females have a pouch like a kangaroo. They give birth to large litters, but then the babies, also called joeys, are on their own to find their way into the pouch to suckle. Most do not, though she is equipped  to nurse up to thirteen babies. I suspect they are weaned as those teeth start coming in, as they end up with an impressive mouth-full of fifty teeth. Possums only live two to four years and though they may not be thought  of as bright, they test well in labs---in some cases out-performing cats and rats. Another interesting thing I read is that possums are naturally protected against snake venom and to a great extent, rabies.  I sure hope some grad students are working on how that might help out humans.