Night Creatures: Possums

The paperbark tree up front is the residence of the ringtail possums (meet one in today’s picture). They are marsupials smaller than a cat, with pearly eyes, and two little satellite dish-like ears able to intercept hungry tawny frogmouths (my most favorite Australian bird ). The tip of the tail is white and visible when the possums curl it up around the electric wires they use to travel among houses and trees. (I can imagine the glory on the face of the first possum inaugurating the first electric wire freeway in Australia a hundred years or so ago. What a serendipitous discovery!) Somewhere in the back reside the brushtail possums. They are larger in size and with a more dignifying tail. It’s thick, black and long. Along with the protruding front teeth on this animal, the tail sends me warning signals. “Stay away!” I can hear the loud hissing of the possums in the middle of the night, but it makes me laugh because it sounds like the rhythmic cough of the engine of an old truck climbing a steep road. Cats are more feared enemies for the possums than night prey birds, so often times we wake up in the middle of the night with loud hissing, meowing and running footsteps on the roof. A horse galloping on the roof would make less noise, but I love this rumble. When I hear it I know I am in Australia, trying to sleep in a place where nature completely surrounds me. Just a while ago, I was in Manhattan, covering my ears to stop the honking of way too many cars from polluting my brain even in the middle of the night…