A strange and shy creature of the night

[Panama Hat & Camera]

Hi everyone.
I know it looks like a rat, but it is not. This is a opossum. Rats are rodents. Opossums are marsupials.
My neighbor to the right has a nice house in a large plot with many trees and shrubs. I believe that a family of opossums is living there. The first time I saw one, I was with my Kodak Z990 on a tripod taking pictures of the street at night (actually it saw me first and he was 2.4 m, or 8 feet, to my right). I tried to turn the tripod and turn on the flash, but he ran away before I could photograph it. Rarely do they appear, but I have tried to photograph them (always with poor results because of the limitations of my cameras to work with high ISO and because they do not let me get close enough).
But one night I was very lucky! One of them was on the external gate of my house and I photographed it (not too close because their defense is to use a liquid very stinky). Because of the size (20 cm or 8 inches, without the tail), I believe that it is a young animal.
I know that is not the picture of a beautiful animal, but as it is relatively difficult to see one, I decided to share the photos with you.
C&C are welcome (as always)!
Antonio.

#1 - 1/60 f/4.5 ISO 200 Flash auto 30mm (lens) 170mm (FFE) Nikon P510


#2 - 1/60 f/4.5 ISO 200 Flash auto 30mm (lens) 170mm (FFE) Nikon P510


#3 - 1/60 f/4.5 ISO 200 Flash auto 33mm (lens) 185mm (FFE) Nikon P510

[Otavio]

...And you got it nicely detailed, for a nocturnal shot and a small sensor camera! Very well done! I like the angles you used. Exposition is well balanced. It is not as ugly as it seems to be at the first glance...all it needs is a haircut

[rawill]

Come to NZ, you will find hundreds of thousands of them decimating our bush!~!

[Panama Hat & Camera]

Otavio,
Thank you for seeing the pictures and for your words of encouragement.
Really, I was lucky to be able to take photos at a little distance of the possum, because they are very shy.
I think it will be hard to find someone brave enough to cut his hair. Note that in photo # 3, he went down a little and pointed me his posterior part. Was he preparing to attack me with his ultra stinky liquid?
Antonio.

[annie5154]

Great shots Antonio, looks like it was watching you too!

[Panama Hat & Camera]

Robin,
Really, Oceania is the continent of marsupials. Here in Brazil they are not as common.

I believe that we are writing about different animals. Opossums of America are of Didelphimorphia order, and, although they are omnivorous, they prefer to eat other animals and eggs. Possums of Oceania are of the order Diprotodontia and how you said, they devastate bushes.

I appreciate your suggestion, but when I go to New Zealand, I'll prefer to see sights, natural beauties (and take pictures of other forms of wildlife).
Antonio.

[Panama Hat & Camera]

Anne,
Thank you very much for seeing the pictures and for your comments.
I've never had saw a opossum before, although I have lived in various parts of Brazil. They are night animals and normally do not enter in the cities.
I think they was so curious about me as I was about him.
Antonio.