Daughter skinned a opossum today and came and got me to show me something. The skinned carcass was peppered in small white "dots". All were the same size about the size of a #6 lead shot. Fur looked fine and opossum appeared healthy, well as healthy as one can look. Any ideas ? any reason for concern ? -Thanks

Another reason not to eat those things!! Hope everyone was wearing gloves. Flesh it and put it up if you can find a buyer or home tan the back strap fur if it has some length. I don't mind catching winter big boars, their skulls are freaky!!

Yes, gloves always.

It is likely an opossum infected with besnoitiosis, which is when a small protozoa encysts in the dermis. It's a type of coccidia and very common in some populations of opossums. I donate opossums to a friend of a friend, who is doing an opossum study at Wilmington College here in Ohio. He has found bubonic plague in Ohio opossums too. Opossums carry lots of diseases and huge parasite loads.

Keith

Anything I should be worried about / we handled with gloves and it was dead at least 8 hrs in 30* to 40* temps

As already stated, everyone on here skinning critters should ALWAYS be wearing gloves.

Those are the yum-dots. He's pre seasoned and ready to cook

Seriously....only the Insects will eat them on a carcass pile.

I've seen where an occasional coyote will eat a possum, prolly a hungry pup! Birds of prey ear them as do buzzards.....and a few people!

$5 for whole possums. Sold $250 worth to a guy last year...I’d just have to wait until the first of the month for my $$$ though, lol. He’s still alive and kept buying so they can’t be that bad.