-
-
Ad Space
(728 x 90)
-
-
-
Ad Space
(120 x 240)
-
-
Chicago's wildlife
This place is a zoo
Photo: istockphoto.comVirginia opossum
Didelphis virginiana
Description With its beady eyes, long snout and furless tail, this misunderstood marsupial is commonly mistaken for a humongous rat. Actually, it’s more closely related to the cute-as-hell koala.
Habitat Almost any residential neighborhood (especially among dense housing). Look for them waddling around at night when you pull into the alley.
Notes One of the more innocuous of Chicago’s wild denizens, this omnivore has a low incidence of rabies and likes to chomp on alley scraps. They get a bad rap because of their defense mechanisms. “One is to look ferocious and flash their teeth. But they typically don’t attack,” Brown says. “Also they’ll ‘play possum,’ ” or play dead.
Time Out Chicago / Issue 173 : Jun 19–25, 2008
Leave a comment
-
-
- Subscribe now and save 87%!
- For just $19.99 a year, you'll get hundreds of listings and free events each week, plus our special issues and guides, including Cheap Eats, Great Spas, Fall Preview, Holiday Gift Guide and more!
-
- Time Out Chicago respects your privacy. We will only use your e-mail address in order to contact you regarding to your subscription and to send you our weekly e-newsletter. We will not share this information with anyone.
-
-
Ad Space
(320 x 53)
Ad Space
(300 x 250)
-
TOC favorites
-
Most viewed in Features
-
Ad Space
(160 x 600)
Ad Space
(160 x 600)
-
- Visit our sister sites:
- Time Out Chicago Kids
- Time Out New York
- Time Out New York Kids
- Time Out London
- Time Out Worldwide
I LOVE POSSUMS!!!!
The nests you are seeing are not in Rosemont, they are off of 90 in Busse Woods near Arlington Heights, and they are mostly Great Blue Herons along with a few other species.
Bats aren't rodents.
This Place is a Zoo -- Big Brown Bat...Did your writer really think that bats are rodents? They are mammals and are closer related to humans genetically than they are to mice. I could see if there was a ha ha in the little write-up after it says flying rodents, but looks like he/she was serious. I think if Larry Heaney, who is quoted in the article, ever sees this he'll be pretty ashamed and upset to be associated with such a misconception.
I have often noticed a rookery of nests close to Rosemount, IL. Does anyone know if these are eagles or a type of heron?