Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from Notes on the Mammals of the Lake Maxinkuckee Region
The northward movement of the Opossum seems to have been general over the state. They are occasionally taken in Marshall and adjoining counties. They are frequently seen at Fort Wayne, Indiana, a few being captured every winter. Mr. J. J. Hildebrandt, of Logansport, reported that some one had brought him about October 1, 1904, an old Opossum and 12 young, the latter about two-thirds as large as rats. The first night she killed 9 of them. He kept the other three and the mother for about 3 weeks, when he took them to the woods and turned them loose.
Devouring its young in captivity seems to be a common habit of the Opossum, and almost everyone who has tried to keep them together has had the young destroyed by the mother.
The Opossum is usually caught in this region for its fur. The prices now obtained by the trappers are 15 to 25 cents. The pelts are becoming more valuable every year, the prices brought in the London market in 1910 for prime skins ranging from 45 cents to $1.
The food of the Opossum is chie?y insects, though they are also fond of pawpaws. They also feed to some extent upon the mussels which they find in the lake. They are an innocent, harmless animal and should be protected.
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