Thread: Red Internals

Pinched this picture,any ideas of cause.

What is the animal?

Looks like a beetroot overdose!

That is insane.

Beetroot or red cabbage addict

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I have never seen anything like that before.
What is the animal?.....looks to be small.

Sorry its a plucked possum.

Could have been feeding on berries of some sort?
Certain birds were historically harvested when feeding on tawa or miro berries, as it flavoured (and coloured) the flesh.

Where has it been feeding? Blackberries? Tutu berries?

Looks a bit like ischaemic/dead bowel, although the colour isn't quite right. Don't eat that possum!

Ink weed ?

Why would you gut a plucked possum?

From what I can see the animal looks healthy enough (apart from being dead, plucked & gutted) so probably been eating berries as the other guys suggested.

In my area there's heavy fruiting of tutu, whiteywood and himalayan honeysuckle... all have purple berries. Would be good to open up the stomach and identify what it was eating just before you came along.

Originally Posted by timattalon

Why would you gut a plucked possum?

I would if I was going to eat it, sell it or dog food it...I would also have plucked more of the fur before doing so.

Originally Posted by DavidGunn

I would if I was going to eat it, sell it or dog food it...I would also have plucked more of the fur before doing so.

Fair enough. I had not thought of consuming it (either for dogs or otherwise) as most people I know would knock over a goat and take the wheels rather than the possum carcass. I did not know there was a market for possum meat?

Originally Posted by timattalon

Fair enough. I had not thought of consuming it (either for dogs or otherwise) as most people I know would knock over a goat and take the wheels rather than the possum carcass. I did not know there was a market for possum meat?

I have found Koreans are the only Asians that eat it in this area, I have a mate supplying a family on a regular basis...when sold as pet food it fetches around the $1 to $1.50 a kilo...there is one outfit I have heard of that supplies the American pet food market.