Category: Wildlife

Odd couples

On By CarynIn Wildlife, Cats

I’ve had a few interesting interactions caught on the trail cam of unexpected pairs.

Photo description: night vision trail cam photo of a raccoon on a bench and a tabby cat walking on the nearby porch. The cat spotted the raccoon and slipped on by.
Photo description: night vision trail cam photo of two opossums, which is unusual because they are solitary. As soon as the one on the ground noticed the one on the bench, the moment was over and it left.
Photo description: night vision trail cam photo of an opossum on the coop porch and a raccoon on hind legs looking at it. The opossum actually held its ground, but the raccoon didn’t care. The raccoon got onto the porch, checked for snacks, then left, all while the opossum huddled against the door.
Photo description: night vision trail cam photo of an opossum on the ground, and a short haired black cat stepping down off the porch. The cat carefully navigated around the opossum.

I have my trail cam set to take photos every three seconds when there is movement, so the shots on either side of the ones I selected above told me the story. I chose the most representative photo to share.

From this set of data, it seems the raccoons are top, then opossums, and then the cats come in last, giving the others wide berth.

Stocked

On By CarynIn Wildlife

We went to the Fort Worth Zoo the other day and I got a kick out of seeing the wild heron fishing at the fish stocked hippo tank.

Photo description: slightly damp heron standing at the edge of the hippo pool, which is full of fish as seen through the glass on the bottom half of the photo

Fish are kept in the hippo pool as a natural cleaning crew for dung, algae, and hippo skin.

Together

On By CarynIn Wildlife

We have a couple of raccoon buddies hanging out in the woods. Rather than the opossums, who arrive individually and leave separately, the raccoons show up and head out together.

Photo description: night vision view of two raccoons climbing the stairs on the back porch of the coop
Photo description: same two raccoons coming back down the stairs

Bath time

On By CarynIn Wildlife

A raccoon decided to have bath time in front of the trail cam.

Photo description: night vision view of raccoon cleaning its arm pit
Photo description: same raccoon now cleaning its back
Photo description: same raccoon with its back leg up

Standoff

On By CarynIn Cats, Uncategorized, Wildlife

It has been while since I checked trail cams. Mostly the SD cards were full of cats, raccoons, and opossums, but there was a series of photos where an opossum was investigating the cat food when a cat came along.

Photo description: night vision view of a back step off the coop with a young opossum, back to the camera, and a black short haired cat, facing the camera

The result was a no-contest. The cat went straight to the bowl of the food on the cat box, away from the opossum, and when the cat settled in to eat and not attack, the opossum left. I’m pretty sure the cat is the one we call Greebo, who has scars from fighting and his fur is thinned with some kind of mange. He actually looks healthier since he joined the neighborhood colony. The last couple years he and Fang show up in the Fall and then head out again in Spring or Summer.