Possums should be our good friends because they are some ferocious tick-eating machines with sciencers claiming they will eat five thousand ticks in a season. (Lyme Disease Guide: Opossums – Natural Tick Killers)
We're terrified of ticks and Lyme plus any other horrendous disease these creatures from some sulfuric pit of hell carry with them. We need to go outside in full jungle gear with protection against any kind of biting insects because those insects hate everyone and we need to bundle up in more heavy cover from the Sun because God hates white people gives us skin cancer so the only way for any medical security outside now is in an Ironman suit.
(Ed: good luck keeping it cool!)
Doesn't that suit have an air conditioner?
(Ed: don't you think you should have asked before you bought it, Safari Sam?)
There are no marsupials so no possums, opossums, or anything of a possum-like nature in Europe and there are protections to keep them out because, at least in Netherlands, they are regarded as an invasive creature, presumably due to illegal importation, etc.
This is what brings the question of what's the problem with possums other than being severely ugly ass creatures. It seems people think of shooting possums as no big deal because they're pests or some such but that's not clear. They seem a hell of a lot more useful than cats or maybe about the same because possums will eat mice if they can catch them but mostly they eat insects. What's not to like.
(Ed: if possums are so good at eating ticks, why is there a problem with ticks in America?)
Maybe America needs more possums ... how should we know. Maybe this is like putting bat houses in yer backyard. Who knows how much it helps in wiping out skeeters but it sure won't hurt and they will eat the ones around you.
(Ed: people should get possums for pets?)
Seems like a nasty pet but maybe they're not. Sure won't have to worry about ticks with them.
We're terrified of ticks and Lyme plus any other horrendous disease these creatures from some sulfuric pit of hell carry with them. We need to go outside in full jungle gear with protection against any kind of biting insects because those insects hate everyone and we need to bundle up in more heavy cover from the Sun because God hates white people gives us skin cancer so the only way for any medical security outside now is in an Ironman suit.
(Ed: good luck keeping it cool!)
Doesn't that suit have an air conditioner?
(Ed: don't you think you should have asked before you bought it, Safari Sam?)
There are no marsupials so no possums, opossums, or anything of a possum-like nature in Europe and there are protections to keep them out because, at least in Netherlands, they are regarded as an invasive creature, presumably due to illegal importation, etc.
This is what brings the question of what's the problem with possums other than being severely ugly ass creatures. It seems people think of shooting possums as no big deal because they're pests or some such but that's not clear. They seem a hell of a lot more useful than cats or maybe about the same because possums will eat mice if they can catch them but mostly they eat insects. What's not to like.
(Ed: if possums are so good at eating ticks, why is there a problem with ticks in America?)
Maybe America needs more possums ... how should we know. Maybe this is like putting bat houses in yer backyard. Who knows how much it helps in wiping out skeeters but it sure won't hurt and they will eat the ones around you.
(Ed: people should get possums for pets?)
Seems like a nasty pet but maybe they're not. Sure won't have to worry about ticks with them.
2 comments:
Answer: People associate them with disease (typically rabies.) Truth is, they rarely (if ever) carry rabies, but they do carry a bunch of other nasties. Here's the blurb I found:
"Opossums very rarely carry rabies because of their unusually low (for mammals) body temperatures. However, they are known to carry diseases like leptospirosis, tuberculosis, relapsing fever, tularemia, spotted fever, toxoplasmosis, coccidiosis, and trichomoniasis."
I know around here they are treated with the same level of contempt as rats.
This looks like a case of unfair possum profiling since your research shows they rarely carry rabies. I had seen they are immune to it but was not sure if that meant they still carry it.
If I'm bitten, I will be thinking of nasties from the animal plus the skin is broken so also there are nasties from the environment so that site is one radioactive medical disaster area in my perspective. I am not exaggerating even a little bit as I'm getting kind of Howard Hughes about germs since I never see anyone. Broken skin is an immediate risk of infection and an injury is a drag but an infection is a terror.
The risk seems low from them generally and they seem highly improbable as pets but presumably they would get shots if they lived about a house, just like dogs or cats. Unknown how powerful their tick killing magic and if keeping possum(s) about reduces Lyme risk.
Post a Comment