Light Shed on Opossums

It was most interesting reading “Drought Drives Wildlife to the City” by staff writer Steve Padilla. I must take issue with Mr. Padilla’s statements that although an “opossum may not be dumber than a box of rocks, they are not a whole lot smarter.”

The reason these “opossums just stared ahead before slowly padding away” is that they are nocturnal animals and are practically blind in the daytime.

I’ve caught them in my shed in the daytime, usually inside a drawer or a dark corner and they reacted exactly as mentioned in the article when released. I’ve also heard them outside my bedroom in the middle of the night, turned on an outside light and gone out to get a closer look at them. I couldn’t even get close because they practically flew over the wooden fence scrambling for the dark unlighted area.

Try releasing these opossums after dark and then see how fast they seek their freedom.

JOSEPH A. KUCIA

Oxnard