The Tip Of His Tail

This year we are "enjoying" one of the effects of climate change:  more energy in the atmosphere means more energy in the weather.  England is drowning, Australia is roasting, and New England is freezing.

Also, during the highest tides the main streets of Miami are under water.

A less obvious sign of the warming planet is the number of plants and animals that are on the way north.  I now see birds at my feeder that would not have been seen north of Virginia years ago.  Southern plants are becoming northern plants.  Crocodiles have moved another State further north. And tropical diseases are now being found in Connecticut.

Opossum, showing his frost-bitten ears

One of the animals that have moved north is the Opossum.  They are one of the earlier migrants, thanks to their willingness to eat anything, including human garbage.

The Opossum is famed for the defensive trick of flopping down on the ground with its tongue out and eyes closed when threatened.  That, along with its foul body odor, make it unpalatable to predators who like fresh meat.

That the Opossum is not really adapted for northern winters is obvious by the loss of ear tips and tail tips to frostbite.  Also the fact that they like to freeze to death in my woodshed.

Here you can see that the tip of his tail has frozen off

Opossums are lone creatures except in early March when, of course, it is mating season.  My bird feeders seem to be serving as singles bars.