Possum Status Update 8th Sept 2012

Over the last couple of days the weather has warmed up considerably and, on cue, the pythons have been swarming all over the place. At dusk on 6/9/2012 a large python (quite probably Grendel) was stretched out on the balcony rail where the possums come. The following day, the python I had photographed on the roof on 22/4/2012 (see the Python TV post) was seen in the tree next to the balcony rail. I have named this second python Morlock. Subsequently that same night another smaller python (about 1 m long and very thin) also appeared in the same tree.

Kiki was lower down in the tree when this last python appeared, and here's a photo of her reaction to it. She glared at it for a long time with her teeth bared like this. I've never seen a possum do this before; their usual defensive pose is with mouth open, making vocal threats, and with one or both hands raised with claws outstretched. I'm thinking that Kiki is not making a threatening gesture as such, but is simply readying her teeth for biting purposes. Unlike when she saw Grendel, she wasn't nervous and shying at sudden movements, but instead looked like she was going to charge at the python and attack it.

An angry Kiki, ready to attack a carpet python 7/9/2012