How to Pick up an Opossum

Fall 2019 HOW TO PICK UP AN OPOSSUM If the opossum is very small (still sprained, pay attention to where each foot distance possible. Secure the carrier flap by thermoregulating) you can pick it up by and the tail is as you lift the opossum from keeping your fingers on the outside. They the tail or body, always taking care to make its enclosure. will bite fingers they see coming down your final approach from the rear. Going towards them on the inside of the flap. right over their head is threatening and Up until about three pounds, you can will usually gain a harmless snap up at pick it up by the tip of the tail, which For opossums over three pounds, you will you at that age. Once you have hold of offers maximum distance of your hand want to grasp it by the base of the tail. the opossum, make sure you gather up the from its mouth. Always move slowly, faster Dangling that much weight from a tip legs and tail within your hand or quickly movements will be threatening and cause of the tail grasp could dislocate tail bones transfer to a piece of cloth to wrap up. the opossum to turn and face you. If the once it gets heavier. Still use the rolled If their tail is loose, it will be whipping opossum IS facing you, take a section of up newspaper for them to grasp as they around looking for purchase. If the feet are tightly rolled up newspaper and gently go airborne. loose, they will be grabbing onto anything push the head around from you until along the path, including your sleeve, hair the tail is exposed for you to grasp. All For a tail-less opossum; use the rolled up or the opening of the cage you’re moving in one swift motion you should pick up newspaper to gently push its head away it through. the butt half by the tail and as the rest from you. If it bites at the newspaper, it of the body is rising, slip the rolled up cannot hurt its teeth. I touch it gently on If their little nails grab hold of their newspaper between both sets of legs and the butt to see how quickly it will attempt bedding or the side of the cage, use a as the opossum becomes airborne, it will to whip around to try and bite me. I keep forward, then up motion of their body to naturally grasp the rolled up newspaper pushing its head gently away, walking my unhook their little feet. Just like you were for security. Always hold the opossum at fingers with a light touch up its butt, onto removing a hanging water bottle from arm’s length from your body, in case it tries its back and in one quick motion, pin the side of a cage with one hand. Little to transfer its grip from the newspaper to the shoulders down, with my thumb on nails can be ripped out, little feet can be your clothes, body or loose hair. Always one side and my forefinger on the on the have your carrier OPEN and nearby to other side, just behind the front legs. In place the opossum in. You don’t want that position, my fingers will almost reach to travel too far; else it finds a way to the jawline. The positioning of my thumb get out of your grasp. You could let it and fingers at the jaw line on either side dangle by its tail for a short distance. It Continued on page 8 doesn’t like being upside- down and unsupported. In This Issue It will try to double back up its tail. A gentle shake How to Pick Up an Opossum ................................................ Page 1 will disorient it enough to Rehabbing Opossums in Oregon (Mail Pouch) ............. Page 2 get it into a carrier. Always Trimming an Opossum’s Nails (Mail Pouch) .................... Page 3 have the carrier close by Selecting a Dog Food (Mail Pouch) .................................... Page 6 and completely open. You Reporting Internet Animal Abuse (Mail Pouch) ............ Page 6 want to travel the shortest Leptosporosis (Mail Pouch) ............................................... Page 6-7 Visit OSUS at www.opossumsocietyus.org those items, but rats will. And the in Oregon. It is illegal for licensed opossum will wind up eating the rehabbers in Oregon to rehab rat. Opossums are fairly regular them. Even if they are babies and on their nightly routes, so you can orphaned. Our only Marsupial put the food out just before you in North America should be have seen him/her in the past. protected.I was happy to see your It’s hard to say where the opossum organization exist thank you! may have set up its many Reva designated crash pads. I have seen them carrying plastic shopping : First, I would start with Note: We print these select Internet bags, balled up newspapers, twigs Athe law. Is there a written questions we receive without grammatical and clean rags to fortify their law that specifically forbids the corrections. Grammatic scrutiny is applied rehabilitating of opossum in to our responses. den. I don’t know if leaving out any of these materials will assist Oregon? Find out the statute, read : Hello, your opossum because their nest it. Or is it more of Memorandum type thing where someone is We have a little possum that site may be a ways from where Q interpreting aforementioned keeps visiting our porch in the they are foraging at your house. statute and not really a law, is evening, probably because we Plus there’s the factor of material it just “the way we’ve done it.” have a bird feeder. We live on the getting wet with snow. You can Talk to licensed rehabilitators in third floor of a large New England leave a little something out and see Oregon, listen to what they’ve house. So this little guy is climbing if it takes it. It has to be something been told. Contact the Oregon the stairs to get up here lol. We do they can gather up with their Department of Fish & Wildlife, not mind at all, but we wanted forepaws and pass through their ask them why, ask them for the to check with you about what is rear legs and secure in their rolled specific law, memo, direction that best for the possum. It is winter up tail, that’s how they transport. says you can’t rehab opossums, in Massachusetts, so we want to If you see the bedding item moved ask for a copy or the weblink. help him survive the winter, but halfway down the stairs, you’ll https://www.dfw.state.or.us/ of course we do not want to make know they were interested but agency/directory/contact_us.asp things worse for nature or for dropped it. Start bugging Oregon Fish & him. Can we leave him some sort Leslie Wildlife and the Oregon State Fish of food in the evening? Should we & Game commission, following leave him a blanket? Should we : Subject: Opossum in my their procedures, go to their put some food down in yard for garbage pail meetings and let your voice be him? Do nothing? Let us know! Q I’ve noticed an opossum in my heard https://www.dfw.state. He’s adorable and we just want empty garbage Pail for three or.us/agency/commission/ him and everyone to be safe. days. I’m concerned that its sick It’s not easy, it takes a lot of time, -Kayleigh Or pregnant. What are your suggestions? research, reading the law and Massachusetts asking a bunch of questions. George : I’m going to send you the : Hello, I contacted you about ACaptive Opossum Diet sheet so : Sometimes they drop into Qan opossum that had been hit that you can look at all the things Athings that they can’t climb by a car earlier this year. My name an opossum would eat. Some of out of. Pick up the pail tonight is Diane and I have Peppa. She these things might be set aside at dusk (keep your fingers on the needs to have her nails trimmed, while you’re cooking to place out outside of the pail while doing so) and she won’t let me. I’m trying for the opossum. Just make sure and tip the pail over by a thick, to find someone to make me a it’s never something like hot dogs low-lying shrub for it to seek special muzzle type thing - not or deli meat. You may purchase shelter under until it gets full dark letting them know what it is for. a bag of small dog kibble and and it goes on its way. Do you have any ideas on a good leave it out. Don’t leave out too Leslie way to trim nails? The wildlife much, you don’t want to attract vet that saw her is gone for every cat in the neighborhood. : How can we get Oregon several weeks, emergency family Fruits and vegetables (uncooked) Department of Fish & Wildlife Continued on page 3 are good because cats won’t eat Qto allow opossums to be rehabbed 2 OSUS www.opossumsocietyus.org MAIL POUCH continued from page 2 situation, and I don’t want to : Hi: We are taking care of a : You can contact: wait that long. I’m finding out in Qdisabled possum by feeding ASacramento Wildlife Care general conversations that people him/her a great diet of mixed nuts, Association Inc.(916) 965-9453 don’t understand opossums at sliced apples, bananas, avocados all.

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