What animal did I run over?

[Zuul]

Last night while coming home from work, I saw a big, fluffy black and white cat darting across the highway. I slowed down as much as I could, but I'd been going highway speeds and there were cars behind me, so I wasn't going to come to a dead stop. As I slowed, I swerved to the right to avoid the cat.

Which was when I saw the critter in the headlights. It curled up into a ball and there was no avoiding it. Thump. It hadn't even been as big as the cat, but the impact felt like I'd run over a rock.

All I saw of it was that it was gray, big, and had a scaly tail. I live in Northwestern Wisconsin, about sixty miles south of Lake Superior, so I was doubtful that they have rats that big here, but that's exactly what it looked like. A gigantic rat. Does it get too cold for possum this far north? I've never seen any before. Would one actually be hanging out with a cat in the middle of the highway at night?

Or, as my mother suggested, was it just a particularly ugly kitten? (Thanks for making me feel better, Mom!)

[Laughing Lagomorph]

From your description it would pretty much have to be an opossum. I'm having trouble finding a good range map but this page has one that indicates they are found into Wisconsin (scroll down):

http://www.hunter-ed.com/wildlife/small_mammals.htm

The opossum is one of those North American animals that has expanded its range under the influence of human development.

As to what a cat and opossum might be doing near each other I know many cats are simply curious about other animals, even ones they may not be hunting. I've known cats that will watch a skunk intently but won't approach it.

[Dangerously Unqualified]

Its range has extended into Ontario, Canada, and it has been found farther north than Toronto.

Sounds like an opossum to me, and them's good eatin'.

[Myrnalene]

I don't know if this will make you feel better (we are all Bo's creatures, after all) but the North American possum is one of the ugliest things in existence.

[Zuul]

Since all I saw of it was its ass-end, all the hideous pictures of their heads aren't doing me much good for identification, but it does appear to have most likely been a crazy, snowbird opossum. I've always managed to avoid hitting wildlife before so was very bummed out, but at least I know I didn't hit something endangered or somebody's really ugly pet.

[Zuul]

...and my only excuse for leaving this out of my last post is because my five-year-old niece kept asking me to take her outside while I was typing: Thank you for the answers, guys.

[Malaky]

Just for you, I went looking for some opossum's ass pics:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ks-_0Bc4IYI/S ... ossum2.jpg
http://opossums.info/photos/Opossum3.jpg
http://artinasuitcase.com/blog/uploaded ... 736616.jpg
For a critter so cute, the internet is seriously lacking in good opossum ass pics.

More seriously, I recently hit a owl while driving, it was standing on the middle of the highway perfectly still, I was too mesmerized to try to avoid it, then heard a thump and felt really bad after that, so you have my sympathy.

[Zsofia]

A possum could get itself hit by a parked car. It's not your fault - if I were one, I'd kill myself too.

[Guizmeaux]

Slightly OT, but apropos of splatting animals with your car, I've only ever hit two.

#1 was a rabbit. After I hit it, I could see it running around in circles in my rearview mirror. So I stopped, intending to put it out of its misery. As I walked toward it, it sat bolt upright, then keeled over backward, dead. Never seen anything like that.

#2 was an adult badger, already dead. The car in front of me was a 4x4 so went straight over the corpse which was in the middle of the lane. Unfortunately, I drive a very modified, lowered car with a DTM bodykit. Suffice to say that half of the animal went under the car and made a complete mess of my exhaust, which stank for days. The other half required the use of the windscreen wipers.

I'm sure I can't be the only person who finds this sort of encounter extremely disturbing.

[Laughing Lagomorph]

Just for you, I went looking for some opossum's ass pics:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ks-_0Bc4IYI/S ... ossum2.jpg
http://opossums.info/photos/Opossum3.jpg
http://artinasuitcase.com/blog/uploaded ... 736616.jpg
For a critter so cute, the internet is seriously lacking in good opossum ass pics.

...

You actually searched the internet for pictures of opossum' asses?

Now that's what I call dedication!

[Guizmeaux]

You actually searched the internet for pictures of opossum' asses?

Now that's what I call dedication!

The search terms used would probably get you arrested in this country for violation of the extreme pornography laws. Or at least get you put on a watch-list.

[Malaky]

Strangely enough, searching google images for "opossum ass" doesn't turn up a single porn pic (opossom-y or human) even with safe search turned off.

(Regarding my links, I did a very tame picture search "opossum behind" or something, the thought amused me You'll forgive me, I spent several years hanging out with furry fans!)

[Guizmeaux]

Strangely enough, searching google images for "opossum ass" doesn't turn up a single porn pic (opossom-y or human) even with safe search turned off.

Sorry Malaky - my post was an ironic (and attemptedly comedic) comment on the state of policing in my country. Or as someone far funnier than I put it, "Government policy by the hysterical housewife, for the hysterical housewife."

While I accept it's possible that there's 'possum ass porn out there, (that's Internet Rule 34, after all), I wasn't seriously suggesting it!

[Malaky]

Haha don't worry I knew you were joking! I was too with my last comment but tone is hard to convey.

[Inigo Montoya]

Strangely enough, searching google images for "opossum ass" doesn't turn up a single porn pic (opossom-y or human) even with safe search turned off.

(Regarding my links, I did a very tame picture search "opossum behind" or something, the thought amused me You'll forgive me, I spent several years hanging out with furry fans!)

Could rule #43 not apply to opossums? So now we know internet decency has an identifiable minimum standard.

My vote is the OP ran over a migrating baby chupacabra.

[Dangerously Unqualified]

My vote is the OP ran over a migrating baby chupacabra.

And them's good eatin' too!!!

[Cluricaun]

Could rule #43 not apply to opossums? So now we know internet decency has an identifiable minimum standard.

That's rule 34. Rule 43 may or may not apply to possums.

[Zuul]

My vote is the OP ran over a migrating baby chupacabra.

Definitely too far north for those. They catch chills very easily, you know.

My ex suggested that it was a muskrat, since I'd hit my scaly-tailed friend near the lake. I don't think I've ever seen a muskrat with gray fur, though.

And I'm sure somewhere out there is deeply disturbing, furry 'possum porn.

[Guizmeaux]

Haha don't worry I knew you were joking! I was too with my last comment but tone is hard to convey.

Well, you never know, and I don't like to assume!

BTW - Rule 43 is apparently, "The more beautiful a thing is, the more stisfying it is to corrupt it". I can't believe that this would ever apply to a possum.

[Inigo Montoya]

Ok ok...but y'all knew what I meant.



...off to search for chupacabra porn

[jayjay]

I don't know if this will make you feel better (we are all Bo's creatures, after all) but the North American possum is one of the ugliest things in existence.

One of the nastiest, too.