Now its Rats

Ran over a giant rat yesterday -- actually I missed it, and the guy I
was riding with ran it over. A nice change from squirrels. They're
slower, but they don't change direction. This happened in a forested
area, so I don't think it was anyone's pet. -- Jay Beattie.

On Sun, 16 Sep 2007 08:57:29 -0700, Jay Beattie
wrote:

Ran over a giant rat yesterday -- actually I missed it, and the guy I
was riding with ran it over. A nice change from squirrels. They're
slower, but they don't change direction. This happened in a forested
area, so I don't think it was anyone's pet. -- Jay Beattie.

Dear Jay,

Judging by my memories of the Pacific Northwest, there's a good chance
that your "giant rat" may have been an introduced oppossum.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

On Sun, 16 Sep 2007 12:03:26 -0600, wrote:

On Sun, 16 Sep 2007 08:57:29 -0700, Jay Beattie
wrote:

Ran over a giant rat yesterday -- actually I missed it, and the guy I
was riding with ran it over. A nice change from squirrels. They're
slower, but they don't change direction. This happened in a forested
area, so I don't think it was anyone's pet. -- Jay Beattie.

Dear Jay,

Judging by my memories of the Pacific Northwest, there's a good chance
that your "giant rat" may have been an introduced oppossum.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

Er, opossums come in two varieties, like camels. East of the
continental divide, their name has only one 'p', but when they cross
the Rockies they sometimes grow a second 'p' . . .

No, I don't think anyone's going to buy that excuse.

Anyway, opossums with one 'p' are prominent NorthWest roadkill:

"'Locally, opossums lead the pack when it comes to getting killed,'
said Kris Meyer, field supervisor for King County Animal Control.
'They're slow and have poor eyesight, relying instead on smell to get
around. When confronted with something they don't recognize, they tend
to open their mouth and glare.'"

"'That may have worked before vehicles — it doesn't work for them
now,'" said Jennifer Convy, rehabilitation manager for the Progressive
Animal Welfare Society in Lynnwood."

http://archives.seattletimes.nwsourc...&date=20020609

More and more I wonder whether a spell-checker would be a sound
investment, but I'm slow, have poor eyesight, and tend to open my
mouth and glare when confronted with words whose spelling I've
forgotten.

Cheers,

Carl Foggel

On Sep 16, 11:03 am, wrote:
On Sun, 16 Sep 2007 08:57:29 -0700, Jay Beattie

wrote:
Ran over a giant rat yesterday -- actually I missed it, and the guy I
was riding with ran it over. A nice change from squirrels. They're
slower, but they don't change direction. This happened in a forested
area, so I don't think it was anyone's pet. -- Jay Beattie.

Dear Jay,

Judging by my memories of the Pacific Northwest, there's a good chance
that your "giant rat" may have been an introduced oppossum.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

Nah, this was just an old rat -- possums don't move fast at all.
According to internet sources (always reliable), they only have a top
speed of 4mph. This accords with my personal experience -- although
every time I encounter a possum, it usually stops to snarl and hiss,
so its hard to judge top speed. This rat was much smaller than a
possum and really movin' -- although not fast enough.-- Jay Beattie..

On Sun, 16 Sep 2007 13:02:36 -0700, Jay Beattie
wrote:

On Sep 16, 11:03 am, wrote:
On Sun, 16 Sep 2007 08:57:29 -0700, Jay Beattie

wrote:
Ran over a giant rat yesterday -- actually I missed it, and the guy I
was riding with ran it over. A nice change from squirrels. They're
slower, but they don't change direction. This happened in a forested
area, so I don't think it was anyone's pet. -- Jay Beattie.

Dear Jay,

Judging by my memories of the Pacific Northwest, there's a good chance
that your "giant rat" may have been an introduced oppossum.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

Nah, this was just an old rat -- possums don't move fast at all.
According to internet sources (always reliable), they only have a top
speed of 4mph. This accords with my personal experience -- although
every time I encounter a possum, it usually stops to snarl and hiss,
so its hard to judge top speed. This rat was much smaller than a
possum and really movin' -- although not fast enough.-- Jay Beattie..

Dear Jay,

Rats!

(Sorry, couldn't resist it.)

I thought that the world was not yet prepared for your story.

Cheers,

Matilda Briggs

In article om,
Jay Beattie wrote:

Ran over a giant rat yesterday -- actually I missed it, and the guy I
was riding with ran it over. A nice change from squirrels. They're
slower, but they don't change direction. This happened in a forested
area, so I don't think it was anyone's pet. -- Jay Beattie.

Look out for the rats and the squirrels teaming up. If that happens, no
cyclist will be safe!

Per :
Judging by my memories of the Pacific Northwest, there's a good chance
that your "giant rat" may have been an introduced oppossum.

My bud in Camas WA used to call them "Washington Speed Bumps".
--
PeteCresswell

android wrote:
Rodents Of Unusual Size? I don't think they exist.


Tell that to my buddy who wrote off his Raleigh road bike (frame, fork,
wheel) hitting a ground hog.
They get 25 to 30lbs when well fed, a sizeable rodent.


Marcus

In article
,
wrote:

"'Locally, opossums lead the pack when it comes to getting killed,'
said Kris Meyer, field supervisor for King County Animal Control.
'They're slow and have poor eyesight, relying instead on smell to get
around.
How can they get past their own stench?
Stinkiest critter I ever came across;
I mean outside of our high school locker room.

When confronted with something they don't recognize, they tend
to open their mouth and glare.'"

--
Michael Press

In article ,
Michael Press wrote:

In article
,
wrote:

"'Locally, opossums lead the pack when it comes to getting killed,'
said Kris Meyer, field supervisor for King County Animal Control.
'They're slow and have poor eyesight, relying instead on smell to get
around.
How can they get past their own stench?
Stinkiest critter I ever came across;
I mean outside of our high school locker room.

Never faced a skunk?

A few years ago, a pair of skunks got into some sort of domestic dispute
a block from my house. The smell lingered in the air for some hours...

--
Ryan Cousineau http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos