Rare White Possum Spotted In The Green Island Section Of Toms River
Possums. or if you prefer Opossums. They are some of the most reviled yet misunderstood creatures in our neighborhoods. They look scary with their shaggy hair, sharp fangs, and of course that naked possum rat tail.
(Photo by Josh Hedges/Getty Images)
Truth be told, the possum is quite a helpful little fellow this time of year.
They eat dead animal and bird carcasses, so they are God’s little vacuum cleaners. They also consume a huge amount of pesky insects that threaten our spring flowers. Moreover, possums, while vicious looking, are very shy, scared creatures, who most times will opt to pretend to be dead, or “play possum” rather than engage in a fight with another animal they most surely will lose. They also are immune to rabies, and even some poisonous snake venom!
A Local Mother Got A Rare And Unexpected Surprise This Morning.
Green Island resident Donnel Pritchard was sipping on her first cup of coffee in the pre-dawn hours this morning while peering out her front picture window. Suddenly, she saw a site not totally unfamiliar. A local wildlife creature making it’s way to the neighbor’s outside cat’s food dish in the yard next door. However, upon further inspection, Ms. Pritchard discovered this creature was unlike any she had seen before! From her description, it seems the Toms River mother of two was indeed the sole witness to a rare and unfortunate condition. It is now believed the creature was a white possum.
According to a recent article in California’s Mercury News, “a white opossum is rare, but not unheard of. Your visitor most likely has a condition called leucism, which looks a lot like albinism but isn’t. In cases of leucism, something goes wrong in the cells that produce pigment. It can be partial, creating a mostly white or spotted animal, or complete, meaning the animal will be totally white”.
The article goes on to say, ” The exception is that the eyes retain their natural color, thus showing that the creature is not an albino. Meanwhile, animals like these marsupials, with leucism can have a tough road to travel. their lack of coloring makes them stand out to predators. Well, this one certainly stood out to our Toms River resident, who by some reports thought she was seeing a ghost creature.
Maybe this year Ms. Pritchard can bring her new friend to the Rat’s Bark In The Park later this spring at ShoreTown Ballpark, home of the Lakewood Blue Claws!
