Cambridge Day recounts the marvels of the opposum, North America's only marsupial, which may not really be the tick-fighting machines we've been told, but which do tend to suppress rat populations (also, they have unusual genitalia).

Mike Ball bravely photographed this snarly, ravenous opossum at the Fairmount commuter-rail station this morning.

A concerned citizen refuses to play dead:

229 Northampton is attracting possums. Possums! They put food out for them (or maybe cats, but the possums have chased the cats off) on the front steps. I spotted a possum munching on the cat food last night at 7 pm, like a haunted buffet. This is gross. The possum gave me one of those looks like "oh, hey, what, are you gonna report me?" Yes I am.

Alison Rush spotted this plump possum on the steps of her apartment building this evening.

Last night, Susan Labandibar of South Boston fired up her copy of Citizens Connect, the mobile app that lets you report problems to the city and see what other people have reported (appless version). As you might expect, it's been dominated of late by reports of potholes and homeowners refusing to shovel their sidewalks. But Labandibar also saw this South Boston report:

Possum in my trash can. Can't tell if it's dead. Barrel in back of 168 west 9th. How do I get this removed?

Labandibar reports:

11:15PM Walked over to West Ninth Street. It’s about three blocks from my house. Locate trash can behind house. Possum? Check. Living? Yep.

Turned the trash can on its side. Walked home. Good night, sweet possum.

Earlier:
Possums sure like their Boston trash cans.

Jef Taylor reports he spotted an opossum yesterday in Franklin Park:

... These marsupials, having worked their way up from South America only a couple million years ago, are ill-equipped for New England winters. Their hairless tails and ears are frequently frostbitten, and you can tell an older individual (one that has survived at least one winter, and the oldest will only survive about three) by its truncated extremities. If it weren't for their ludicrous litter size and relatively young sexual maturity, they wouldn't make it here. ...