File talk:Virginia Opossum area.png

Discussion of range expansion of Virginia Opossum

We were watching a Virginia Opossum cross the snow-covered lawn, and decided to look for the diet of Possums in Wikipedia. When I looked at the map, I noticed that Wisconsin is not included as habitat area for the opossum. About 20 years ago, the opossum moved north. It was an animal I'd only seen in Missouri, but it never in Minnesota and Wisconsin. It is now prevalent at least as far north as Oshkosh, WI. The rather abrupt change of this animal's range was a response to global warming, according to a spokesperson from Wiscosnin Department of Natural Resources, interviewed on Wisconsin Public Radio, when opossums were first appearing. —Preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.94.102.167 (talk) 23:00, 17 March 2013 (UTC)

I have added an obsolete reference tag to the distribution map in the infobox of Virginia opossum, as this range map has become obsolete in the past several decades: see Walsh & Tucker (2017). Other more recent articles, such as Kanda et al. (2006) use, in lieu of IUCN data, map data from Gardner and Sunquist (2003).

After discussion with Wikipedia user w:User:Azcolvin429 on his talk page, he has graciously updated the range map for marsupials in general by using map data from the Gardner and Sunquist (2003) chapter. This range map should be updated as well. I'm sorry, but I lack the technical skills to do so. If you, dear reader, have the skills to update the map, I kindly request you to do so. BirdValiant (留言) 18:41, 1 December 2017 (UTC)