It's so cute and pattable!

[deird_lj]

The guy who sits next to me has a possum in a box under his desk.

No, not a possum. A possum. One of the cutest marsupials our country has.

They really are fantastic.


He found it on the footpath, looking stunned (pro-tip: if you can actually get close to a possum without it getting away, it's probably injured). It's now sitting in a box, waiting for wildlife services to pick it up...

Comments

[a2zmom.livejournal.com]

so cute.

[deird1]

They really are adorable.

[lavastar.livejournal.com]

AWwwwwww. Definitely worthy of the squealy Fred icon.

[deird1]

*nods*

For the second time in my life I have patted a possum. :D

They really are the cutest things. Usually you only get to see them running along the powerlines at night, really fast.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Poor, poorly, possum - but they are incredibly cute.

[deird1]

Aren't they cute! I'm a big possum fan...

[padawanspider.livejournal.com]

Aww. Those look remarkably less mean and nasty than our possums.

Makes up for those nasty funnel-web spiders that y'all have.

[deird1]

Yeah, your possums just look strange...

Makes up for those nasty funnel-web spiders that y'all have.

No, no. You're thinking of Sydney.

Down here in Melbourne, we just have huntsmans.

[padawanspider.livejournal.com]

Well, I was kinda referring to the funnel-webs in a "country vs. country" kind of way.

but OMG THE HUNTSMAN IS SO CUTE!!! *pets the ginormous spider*

erm. yes. are huntsmans as friendly as our tarantulas? Wikipedia seems to say "not quite."

[deird1]

Well, I was kinda referring to the funnel-webs in a "country vs. country" kind of way.

Oh, absolutely. This is just my "WE ARE NOT SYDNEY" bias showing. (Sydney and Melbourne are fierce rivals in just about everything.)


Huntsman spiders are poisonous - although I don't think they're generally lethal. But certainly not something you'd want to pick up and play with.

not so random commenter

[rowanda380.livejournal.com]

aww, that is sweet of him to pick it up and help it. I wish I could see one, they look very cute :0)

[deird1]

They really are adorable.

[immer-am-lesen.livejournal.com]

You mean...it's not an Opossum, it's a Possum, right? ;-)

I normally see them on the side of the road, around here...they're not very bright when it comes to crossing highways, sadly. :-(

[deird1]

Well, yes, but if I said "opossum and possum", half the Americans would assume their ones were possums, and inquire no further...

This way is much simpler.

[(Anonymous)]

whuh? They're called Opossums over there, I thought...don't Americans know the name of their own animals? *raises eyebrow*
This way you've just said 'possum' twice...how is this simpler?

[deird1]

Well, it's all part of my genius plan. This way, they have to look at the links to find out what I'm talking about. (If they can't already tell from the "Aussie marsupial" description.)

And apparently, no, Americans tend to call them "possums". Even though the animal is technically an opossum.

[immer-am-lesen.livejournal.com]

Argh, whyyy does LJ always sign me out on my home computer? It never does at work. Hmph.
Anyway, that 'anonymous' up there was me too...

Ah, lazy pronunciation wins yet again. :-)