Animal Trapping in Southern Arizona requires knowledge and handling of a wide variety of animals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds. 1st Response Wildlife has years of experience in both educating the public about wildlife in the Sonoran Desert of Southern Arizona as well as humanely trapping and relocating a wide variety of species. Sometimes, homeowners, property management companies, and businesses are surprised to find animals in and around their facilities that may be causing a noise or have become a nuisance but is actually a species they have not encountered here before-or they did not think would be found in this area. For example, to native Tucsonans, the idea of thinking there is family or even a single Opossum in their neighborhood would probably be the last animal they would expect. And, to make a sighting even more remote, because Opossums are mostly nocturnal, to find an Opossum on your property could be quite a shock. Such an occurrence happened this fall.
Opossums, are a fairly common site in many eastern states, but are not often seen in and around greater Tucson, Oro Valley, Catalina, Marana, or Saddlebrooke. They are discovered occasionally after crawling into a load of produce or other bulk shipment from the south during the night and then, when that load is delivered north into Southern Arizona, the Opossum wakes up, ambles off and is found in a neighborhood, attic, or under a shed or manufactured home. Their normal range in Arizona, however, remains more to the south of Tubac in areas like Arivaca and down into Mexico.
Opossums are opportunistic omnivores-meaning they will eat almost anything-plants, insects, reptiles, and animals-alive or dead. Surprisingly they are mostly immune to venom from pit vipers which, given their range from Central America up into the southern border of Arizona and then across the southern states, rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouth snakes can become a meal for them. They are seen mostly at night and, when their food supply runs low in an area, they will move elsewhere in search of a new food source. Because of this somewhat nomadic nature, Opossums, do not often dig or create dens. Rather, they take shelter in piles of brush, storage areas, tree roots, larger spaces under manufactured homes, sheds, and, since they can climb, trees or even attics.
Opossums are the only marsupial found in north America. They can give birth to as many as a dozen young which remain in the mothers pouch, for a time, and, as she is raising them. Other than during the mating season, Opossums are solitary and actually, since the rarely carry rabies, provide, when left alone, a kind of clean up service in a given area. They do, however, have 50 teeth, will growl when challenged, and can cause a threat to small pets.
Recently 1st Response Wildlife was called by a homeowner that was hearing sounds in the attic and around the home. Because there is such a wide range of animals found in the Sonoran Desert, one cannot always predict which animal is causing scrapes, sounds, or munching noises in a closed space like an attic. Responding to the call, 1st Response Wildlife trapped this Opossum pictured below. Since this was clearly north of its normal range, it was determined that this animal should be evaluated and then transported back to an area that was within its northern range-both for safety related to the coming winter season and to be in proximity to other Opossums within its range.
Physical inspection identified it as a healthy male but, as it had probably hopped a ride on some load of material or vegetation that left it well north of its normal range, it needed to be prepared for a return. It was transferred to a larger holding enclosure, fed for a few days to ensure there were no health issues, and loaded in that enclosure into a truck.
You can see that this Opossum has taken to burrowing into a soft towel, provided for warmth and comfort.
The enclosure was then covered for a 60+ mile trip south.
After a search for a suitable habitat that had a food source, access to water, and shelter, the Opossum, as you can see, in the YouTube video below, was released back into the wild.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkgcVEYgQyI&feature=youtu.be
If you would like help with Nuisance animals, noises in your building, see or hear something in or around your home, business, or property and would like help identifying it, humanely removing it, with the assurance it will be relocated to live in a safe environment, please give 1st Response Wildlife a call to discuss your options.
Thanks for considering 1st Response Wildlife
Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517
Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), coyotes, snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, pigeons, hawks, ducks, opossums, squirrels (ardilla), peacocks, coatimundi (gato solo), skunks (mofeta), ringtails, exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7. Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children or have an exotic sighting in your neighborhood. 520-260-9517 Thanks!
