Possums do carry a parasite (protozoan) that gets into the spinal fluid of horses and can paralyze them.

just had another of those rabies carrying things in my backyard.... .177 chicom sidetroke pellet rifle... after i treed him.... little buggers are fairly tough, till you shoot em in the spine behind the head...

i had let the dog out to go do his nightly "stuff" and he lite after the possum... called him back in, treed the possum and finally got rid of that trash raiding dog infecting STINKING critter

jeffe

jeffeosso--Do possums count? Never heard of any that could. Heard rumor once of one that could say it's ABC'S but I never believed it. Ive heard rabbits multiply fast,but Ive never seen one that could even add.

Naw, possums are just a good warmup. What was God thinkin' that day?

Dan

Pres., TYHC

www.Primordial.Confusion

I suppose God had just invented "weed" and was giving it a "test run", when he thought i want to make an animal with no real pupose but to be ridiculed and run over by vehichles man will make later!

'Possums don't carry rabies. They're a marsupial, not a true mammal, and as such, they can't contract rabies - so no worries about that.



Just good eatin' through and through. (Although preferably only after catching them in a live trap and feeding it corn for a few days to clean it's system.)



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oops: Just did some searching and found that 'possums "can" contract rabies, although it's extremely, extremely rare.



Here's links from a couple of websites. I was always told it was because of being a marsupial, but low body temperature is the scientific reason - which may or may not have anything to do with being a marsupial. Still, even though it's "almost impossible" I might have to start watching what I eat a little closer.



http://www.wildliferescueleague.org/report/opossum.html

Quote:

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Diseases

Opossums do not harbor diseases normally found in dogs and cats, such as distemper, parvovirus, or feline hepatitis. All warm-blooded mammals can contract rabies, but opossums are rarely found to be rabid. Scientists believe that a body temperature too low to support the rabies virus is the reason. According to Dr. Susan Jenkins, Assistant State Epidemiologist, Office of Epidemiology, Virginia Department of Health, six rabid opossum cases were reported between 1989 and 1998.

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and:



http://www.alleyspc.com/wildlife.htm

Quote:

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Many people who see an opossum that is drooling mistakenly think it has rabies. This is not the case. Statistics indicate that there has not been a case of rabies in opossums in NE Texas since rabies statistics have been kept. In general, an opossum presents a far lower health risk to humans than do dogs and cats as it has a natural high level of immunity to most diseases. An opossum does, however, carry fleas ...

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Ben
texas has a rabies problem... has had for years... it's assumed at all coyotes and probably all coons and possums have it....

but, then again, with my luck, that one would have bit my pup and gave him rabies.....

jeffe

Well, I still dunno about assuming all 'possums have it.

It certainly doesn't hurt anything to err on the side of caution, but really - possums are some of the healthiest and least prone to disease animals out there - and the general view in South Alabama is that possums cannot carry rabies. I do admit that looking into it, that some reports say they "can", but even those reports say it's still incredibly rare. It was news to me this morning that they even could carry rabies at all, no matter how rare.

I assume you meant cats, Right Dan! derf

I don't understand?

What's a parsupial? Checking into this.

I'm familiar with armadillos and leprosy, because leprosy is such a slow gestation disease, along the order of 15 or so years I think??

Although, what I've always been told is that only the armadillos west of the Mississippi have leprosy, and the ones around here are, again, generally safe. I've shot and handled several, but I've never personally eaten one.

Eat opossum: Yes

Eat armadillo: No

I just have to draw the line somewhere.

That reminds me: My best armadillo kill was back in the mid 90s. I was sleeping and the dogs woke me up barking at something. It was around 2am, and I just grabbed my 12 guage and reached into my nightstand for a handfull of shells. I *thought* I only had 2.75" 8-shot in there, so I just grabbed without turning any lights on, and started loading up as I walked outside. I get out there, and this armadillo was entrenched and digging at the edge of my carport with 2 of my dogs snapping at it.

I shoo the dogs out of the way, and blast the thing. First thing I notice was that didn't kick like a bird-shot, and I blew pieces of armadillo all over everything. I go back inside, clean up, and check that round, and it was a 3" 00 buck. I shrug and go back to sleep.

Next morning I go outside and look at my car, and there's huge pieces of meat and other assorted pieces all over my front fender, hood, and windshield. It was a mess. Every time thereafter I've just used a .22

Well, one more good armadillo.



I got one with a bushhook once down in my worm-bed. For anyone uncertain what a bushhook is, it's a long pole, with a 2' long and 6" thick blade on the end of it, sort of like a halberd or other polearm in some ways.



This armadillo was totally oblivious and eating my fish-bait, so I just walked up, and with one overhead chop - split into two perfect halves from his nose to the end of his shell right down the middle.



Maybe not such a great story in the telling, but at the time I thought it was pretty neat.



Edit:

Here's a link to a picture of one:

http://www.gemplers.com/a/shop/product.asp?T1=161124&UID=200412030858158433859873



Ours has rougly a 5' handle and a 20-24" blade on the end.

Among those in the know, 'dillos are called 'possum on the half shell. Yankees think it quaint until later...

Dan

Pres., TYHC

www.Southern.Fried

A wise man one told me why possum was spelled "o" possum. It's because everytime someone see's one they go, "OH" no, look at that poor possum that got run over. I heard this was a true story, I think Webster even said something about it in his dictionary.

A wise man once told me why possum was spelled "o" possum. It's because everytime someone see's one they go, "OH" no, look at that poor possum that got run over. I heard this was a true story, I think Webster even said something about it in his dictionary.

HMMM possums killing horses, now I have a reason to hate them too

Possum, the third white meat.