possum in broad daylight right up against neighbor's house in suburban St. Louis, MO 9/15/22

This is a possum (some would say opossum) in broad daylight right up against the house of our next door neighbor in suburban St. Louis County, Missouri. Possums are usually nocturnal and so it's unusual to see them wandering around like this in daylight. Technically, there is apparently only one species occupying the U.S. and Canada and it is named the Virginia Opossum, but throughout North America these animals are more commonly referred to as simply possums. Although not all that different in total size from a raccoon, it has a brain only 1/5 the size, which is a bit surprising given how successful and widespread this animal is. Also, the lifespan of this animal is surprisingly short for a mammal or marsupial of its size and metabolic rate and it rarely lives past 2 in the wild and a maximum of 4 in captivity. The name derives from either Powhatan or Algonquin depending on the source. Also, this animal is an omnivore meaning it eats just about everything it can find.

[@TheTrumpReaper]

I lived in Parkmerced apartment complex in San Francisco. There were raccoons, possums, skunks and feral cats everywhere. I went to my porch in broad daylight and there was a humongous possum on it with its mouth hangung open. The first thing I thought was "rabid", so I gave it a wide berth.

[@BILLBADASHAW2011]

BEAUTIFUL !!!!!!!

[@BiffBuffchest]

Thats a funny looking cat

[@ingihrannar8781]

Would a possum get aggressive if you walked up to it do you think? or would it scurry off?

[@cathym4838]

He looks like he has no idea what to do. 😂

[@JohnDoe3.14]

Looks like a giant rat in mime paint