Possum Status Update 28th Sept 2012

More pythons. This time a 2 m long one (that is to say, half way between Morlock and Grendel in size) descended through the trees in the possum feeding area.

Here's Kiki glaring at it with bared teeth.

Kiki on guard against the latest python 23/9/2012

Interestingly, when I got close to this python to photograph it, Kiki stared at us intently, but as soon as I was out of reach of the python, Kiki departed the area (in the opposite direction to the python). Maybe Kiki's anti-python guard duties extend to ensuring the safety of the human food-trees.

The latest carpet python 23/9/2012

 This is (at least) the fifth different python that has visited in the past few months. Prior to this, we'd be lucky to see more than a couple of pythons in a year. 2012 has really been the year of the carpet python.

One possible reason for this is that there might have been an increase in rat or mouse numbers in the area. I think this because recently a mouse or rat has got into the house, which hasn't happened for many years. It's currently resisting all attempts at capture. I've put out some Elliott (box-type) traps, but it ignores all food placed in these traps, while happily eating identical food items placed outside of the trap.

Wasabi and the other ringtails haven't been seen for a while, which is only to expected at the moment. When Wasabi was last see a couple of weeks ago, the scratches on his face had almost completely disappeared.

Wasabi 12/9/2012 [Photo by Xesce]

All of the brushtails are still visiting and in good health.

Marlon's claw (the one that was torn off on at the beginning of August) has now grown back except for a tiny bit at the very tip. I'm quite impressed with how well this has healed. Possums use their claws for climbing trees, so they must be extremely strongly attached to the toe. Ripping off the entire claw - quite apart from being incredibly painful (imagine having a whole fingernail torn off, only worse) - would have to count as a fairly serious injury. Yet it healed, and the entire claw regrew, in two months without any treatment.

Marlon's claw - now almost completely grown back 24/9/2012

Svejk's limp is now barely noticeable; you can only see it if you're looking for it. If there was any sort of fracture present, it looks like it has healed without any problems.