Winter Possums of Ontario

by Frank, Wayne, Lauren, Susan, Kathryn, Trevor, Craig, Rebecca, Catherine, K Brown, Harold
(Oshawa, Lindsay, Hamilton, Mississauga, Brampton, Newtonville, Whitby, Kitchener, La Salle, Port Perry, Bowmanville)

Possum in Winter

Several of our readers have written to us to tell us about their Possum encounters - here are a selection of them!

Frank from Oshawa wrote to say ..... Our Brittany dog was let out at 12.30 am in Oshawa and immediately started barking at something on the back fence. Thinking it might be an intruder, I checked and found a white animal laying on the cross bar of the fence, just looking at us. It had a long rat-like tail. Quite docile really. We knew it was a Possum, as several weeks ago, our neighbor's dog killed a Possum.

Wayne from Lindsay told us ..... We had a Possum in our yard on Ridgewood Road, Lindsay, Ontario, on November 28th. The motion light came on the other night in our front yard and we looked out and saw this strange looking animal and checked internet to find out that it was a Possum. We had thought Raccoons and Skunks dug up our lawn, but now know that they have help!

Lauren from Hamilton wrote to tell us of her Opossum sighting, she says ..... We had a bag of empty beer cans on our deck after a party and I heard a clanking sound around 10 pm. When I went to investigate, I saw the little guy (or girl?) come right out of the bag. It was actually pretty cute! It hid shyly under the barbecue when I opened the door, then had a little look about after a while and left. I had never seen one before. We live on Locke St.

Also from Hamilton, Susan wrote to say ..... there is a Possum sleeping in my backyard shed, curled up in a box. December 23rd. The first possum I saw in Hamilton, Ontario, was way back in the early 1980s.

Kathryn recently wrote to tell us ..... I live in Mississauga, Ontario, and just witnessed a Possum in my backyard. I live next to a forest and decided to let my dog out late at night to do his business. My dog chased after what I thought was a Squirrel but was really a Possum. I was scared to death. By the time a got a good glimpse, my dog was running back into the house. My dog was even scared himself.

Trevor from Brampton says ..... December 14 about 11:30 p.m. back door security light came on in Bramalea, Ontario, and there he (or she was) at the fence...then the back steps. Was not impressed with the fallen bird seed. Waddled back to the fence into 3" of snow. He was about 12" long + 9" tail and seemed well fed.

Craig from Newtonville commented ..... I came home from work, heard some noise in the barn. When I went in to look I saw a feed bag moving around and out it came, grey and white. Will try to get pictures.

Rebecca from Whitby, Ontario, said ..... It seems more and more these little guys are more common in our back yard than Raccoons. Growing up more south of here I was quite accustom to their presence however my friends, neighours and even my husband have no idea what they are and often describe them as an alarmingly large rat.

Catherine Trewin from Kitchener, Ontario, wrote to say ..... I have a large one eating crabapples that fallen from my tree, believe he or she is finding shelter under my stoop.

K. Brown from La Salle told us ..... I just chased one around my yard before it fled to the neighbour's.

Harold from Port Perry, recently wrote to report ..... We had a problem with coons at our place so I put out a trap. I got one and I put the trap out again, day one - 0, day two - 0, day three - 0, day four - a Possum! I let it go. This was on November 1st.

One of our readers wrote to say ..... I saw a Possum crossing the road at 7:30 am on December 3rd. I was driving, but when I got close, it froze in the middle of the road. I waited for a couple of minutes, and it finally ambled to the side of the road.

A reader from Bowmanville wrote to tell us ..... Walking my dog along Mearns Avenue, I thought I saw a small dog on the loose. When I got closer it climbed a tree. It was definitely an Opposum and very docile, I hope there not destructive like Raccoons.

Thank you all for sending us your reports of Possum sightings - I know our readers will enjoy them!

We have received so many Opossum sighting reports that we have had to combine them into groups on one webpage - keep 'em coming!

You can see more reports of animal sightings in Ontario on our facebook page.