Possum skunk? Skunk possum?

[Ranger99]

Got a varmint I was sure was a
skunk. Dark black fur with white
on the back and back of head.
Well looking a little closer, it had
the big possum rat tail.
I don't have a way to post the
crappy picture I took.
Fairly heavy, between 8 and 9
pounds. I guess it's been at
the neighbor's cat food buffet
she keeps out 24/7

Anybody ever seen a skunk
colored possum like that?
Every one I've ever seen or
caught was the regular silver
grey color

[ironglows]

  Hard to decide whether skunk or possum?  Possums are marsupials.., if it is a female, it should have a pouch hiding somewhere.

[mcbammer]

    Yes ,black possums are fairly common around here .

[wtxbadger]

Nutria maybe?

[Ranger99]

No, it's a possum
I've just never ever seen a dark
black black one with white, always
the classic grey color with the lighter
undercoat. Very strange and rare in
this area

[Ranger99]

Even the face is black instead of
the classic creamy white

[Dee]

Nutria maybe?

Nutria are usually brown.

[Hellgate]

It could be a skunk with mange, a hormone problem or some other reason to lose the hair off it's tail and therefore look rat-like. A possum has a broad triangular shaped head and bald ears. The skunk ears should have short fur.

[BUGEYE]

Chupacabra

[Ranger99]

Definitely a possum.
No question of that. But looking at a trap
set and seeing black black fur and white
white accents makes me not want to approach
a trap until I know for sure what's there.
From a distance, my first thought was caution! Skunk!
I've caught enough possums in every kind
of trap to fill up a bobtail truck.
But every one up until now has been the
classic silver grey with the creamy white
face. The big XXL rat tail is an easy
give away if it's not tucked up underneath
like it was this one

[Ranger99]

The first one must have been making
a lot of babies.
Fits right in with the neighborhood.
I've caught 7 more since the first post,
and they've all had dark black patches
of fur.  Caught one today while I went
on an errand

[rustic bob]

I once caught a beige colored one, and saw a tanned one at the fur buyers, very interesting color and makes a nice tanned hide.