if it were skunk.. you would know ... i know when they walk thru the yard the next day .... shove that rock in it.. and see what happens.. god help me.. that is all i would do.. lol ... lets see if the hole is 'active' .... also.. you could rake the soil.. to loosen it all.. and see if you cant capture some foot prints ... i cant focus on the scat.. nor the penny.. but its a great scale.. lol ... ken

Not all possums get the "we play dead" memo, and in fact some will fight like a coon, and I have the scars on my foot to prove it. Years ago I heard a commotion out by my collie's doghouse. I slipped on my rubber boots, grabbed a flashlight, and headed out to see what was going on. There was a standoff in progress between my dog and a very respectably sized possum. My dog is fairly smart when it comes to anything but cats ( he really has a hard time tolerating a strange cat in the yard) and has never been skunked, stomped by a doe with a fawn or taught some respect by a coon. He is a barker but a chicken. Still, I decided it was best to put some distance between the two and slipped my hand into his collar to lead him away (not something to do with just any dog in any situation...it's not uncommon for an excited dog to bite, even someone he knows) and just about that time the possum lunged forward and latched onto...my foot. Bit right through the boot (brand new pair of Northerns, ruined them on the spot) and into the top of my foot, that arched place on top there, where's there's not much meat but apparently plenty of pain sensors. I gave a big shout of pain and surprise, jerked my foot back, and then he /she marched off, hissing and snarling and drooling. I tied the dog, went back in the house, and pulled my ruined boot off to inspect the damage. Plenty of blood, two nice puncture wounds, and a husband who kept shouting "You let WHAT bite you???!" I called the ER to casually inquire about possums and rabies, and scrubbed up with peroxide while I listened to EMTS laugh at me from on the other end. Whoever answered the phone at the ER congratulated me, telling me I was the most interesting call he'd had all night since things had so far been pretty slow. In short, I got a tetanus shot the next day to be safe, but the strangest thing is, that set of holes healed up within a few weeks and never so much as even suggested a hint of infection. I have had more aggravation with getting a tick bite to heal than what that possum gave me. go figure. but don't assume all possums will curl up and die.

Loved the pictures. Are there fewer raccoons than there used to be? Did anyone else read Sterling North's book 'Rascal' when they were young? Wild life books were once very popular, Farley Mowat may ring a bell. Raccoons used to be plentiful, when I was a kid. I saw one driving home, er, as I drove home, one night a few years back, and tried to get the neighbor kids to guess what it was. What animal: washes his handlike paws, and his food weighs about 30 pounds climbs trees can open latches wears a mask.....? might live in sewers? ...................not one, eight or ten year old, had any idea. Their tails were used on Davey Crockett's style of cap. That! finally brought one response. There seems to be a wideniing detachment from wildlife as it disappears. How do we interest our kids? They are inside, not learning outdoor rythms and norms just by hanging out. Here is a link that might be useful: Rascal by Sterling North

My cousin owns a house on a 50 acre "farm" property. She has an old barn on the property, which they use to store vehicles and tools. She has lived there 30 years and people are always dumping unwanted kittens near the barn, feeling they'll have a place to be safe and catch mice and be fine. NOT! My cousin gathers them up and takes them to the ASPCA to be destroyed. I once thought she was cruel, but now I know she's not running an animal sanctuary. See all the above replies. No one thinks you should have to put up with this nuisance.