Australian possums are totally different.
Our possums came from South America when Panama became a land bridge. Marsupials were extinct in North America.
You can't chase our possums away because they are too stupid. Many years ago I caught one in my pigeon coop and gave it a sound thrashing to teach it not to be there. It was back in less than 15 minutes.
Since then I've fought any number of them with my Swiss army knife (it's 24 inches long, so it gives me a decent stand-off distance). They're ferocious, and they're tough - like a half inflated football with some chicken bones inside - and I tell you, they're too stupid even to realize that they're dead.
