Wildlife Species Moving North

One of our trail cameras at Beaver Hollow recently recorded a video of a healthy adult possum at Beaver Hollow! The DNR verifies that this is the farthest north a possum has been sighted in Wisconsin. The possum’s fur is not as thick as many other mammals, and their hairless ears, nose, and tail are very susceptible to frostbite, making them poorly suited to cold weather. This possum’s tail was not damaged by frostbite, indicating that our northern Wisconsin’s warming winter temperatures are now suitable for this species. As our winter temperatures continue to warm, southern species like possums and southern flying squirrels will continue to move to our area, and cold tolerant native species such as martens, northern flying squirrels, and snowshoe hares will gradually shift northward to colder climes.