T H E D I S H O N D I R T | B Y L E S L I E C R AW F O R D
February in the Garden
Opossums are the only North American marsupials.
I
T’S A JUNGLE OUT THERE. While we are
sleeping, there’s a lot of action outside. Opossums and rats are commonly seen, while raccoons and skunks are a bit more elusive. All this wildlife can be a nuisance but I love knowing that nature is thriving in Coronado’s urban environment. Rats are a big problem and regularly eat the fruit off my trees. The evidence is in the hollowed-out oranges lying under the tree. Skunks visit occasionally but stay out of sight for the most part. I haven’t heard of anyone’s dog getting sprayed in Coronado, but there’s a first time for everything! Raccoons can be destructive and mean, knocking over garbage cans and injuring or killing pets. I know when they have visited our yard because they
46
CROWN CITY MAGAZINE
|
FEBRUARY 2019
leave an oil slick or soapy bubbles in the pond, which leads me to believe they are coming out of the sewers. They ate all the fish in our pond and recently stole the whole crop of apples off our tree overnight, so they are on my naughty list. Opossums are cute when they are small, but as adults they are smelly, messy and not so attractive. They get a bad rap for being aggressive and mean, but it’s mostly an act. Usually they will freeze and “play possum” when scared or give a menacing hiss. They knock plants off shelves and snack on our fruit trees, but I welcome them because they eat snails, slugs and baby rodents. Based on our eyewitness accounts and strategic video cameras, Coronado’s animal kingdom is alive and well. Now, if only I could have chickens….
