Nocturnal? Not!

This afternoon as we were working in the back yard, Virginia decided to come out for a stroll. I think we probably disturbed her daily nap somewhere under the brush pile and she had to find a different place to rest. I didn't see her climb the wall - that is still a mystery - but, there she was atop it waddling along toward our house. If you look closely you can see her marsupial bulge between the hind legs. Down the fence line she came and sniffed the red berries at the corner as she turned.

Did you know that opossums have an opposable thumb like us on their rear feet? You can see how she uses it to climb along the wall. I was only about 4 feet away when she worked herself down the wooden fence to the deck holding herself securely with her prehensile tail as she finds a rail to shimmy down. I read that babies can hang by their tails, but the adults just use them for balance and support. Once down on the deck she finally sensed my presence and made for the safety of the under deck. I am not surprised that she didn't see me - nocturnal animals rely much more on their other senses. Wonder how long it will be till we see those "rag curls" again.