Ahí viene el tlacuache

2005.09.05

Ahí viene el Tlacuache cargando un tambache por todas las calles de la gran ciudad.

El señor Tlacuache compra cachivaches, y para comprarlos suele pregonar:

¡Botellas que vendan! zapatos usados! ¡Sombreros estropeados, pantalones remendados! Cambio, vendo y compro por igual! </i> I remember a blog entry, possibly by Andrew Pollock, telling about the stupid road crossing habits of the kangaroos. Well, for us non-Australians, that’s probably one of the most extravagant and folkloric tales that can be ever told. About 1hr ago, I was finishing reading a chapter, when I saw Santa staring out the window to the garden. But then again… She was not just staring at the void - She was staring at the nose of a very large rodent! I immediately called Nadezhda down to plan the action, and in one of the most varonile actions I have ever taken, I decided to go and solve the problem at whatever cost. Armed with a metal broom stick, I went out to the garden to hunt the large rat. Of course, at 11PM and in a garden so full of places to hide as ours, I wasn’t precisely optimistic. My dear and brave wife was helping me (her sight is dramatically better than mine) standing over a chair. And then, we saw it. I was ready to smash it, but it was running over the wall, so I was some 30cm short - A huge beast. Over 30cm, plus a 30cm tail - Would not be that bad weren’t it for the fact that my cats love to be in the garden, and they are usually there from 8AM to 8PM. Nadezhda reacted to the terrible beast’s look:

That’s not a rat, no way, that’s a Tlacuache!
Well, yes, you might be right… Anyway, I don’t want it to be anywhere near my cats!
Agree… But don’t kill it! It’s not a rat! Maybe…
Hmmmm… Then what can we do?
We can open the back door and scare it out! Ok, so we opened the door, sprayed water all over, made noise… In the end, we didn’t see the tlacuache again. It very probably still is in the garden - And I am afraid to let the cats out tomorrow - It is easily bigger than Marabunta! Now, what is a tlacuache, and why did I remember (probably) Andrew’s posting? The tlacuache is Mexico’s only marsupial - yes, somehow related to the kangaroos and all those Australian-only animals. It is also known as churcha, zarigüeya, cuica, catita, zorra mochilera, llaca, coyopollin, comadreja overa or mucura in different parts of Latin America. Here is a nice picture of them. There is another interesting link about the tlacuaches in Mexico Desconocido - It is strange to see a Mexico Desconocido article that starts just around the corner, in the Pedregal area. I love living so close to the University. Besides not having to drive to work, UNAM has one of the most beautiful campuses (campii?) I have ever seen - And it has an ecological reserve of its own, the matorral de palo loco area. That reserve, and the beautiful way in which the whole campus is still integrated in the forest, is the main reason I have very unique and beautiful fauna at home: Every day, we chase out squirrels. In Spring time, we very often have humming birds. And… Well, today I had my first encounter with a tlacuache. I am happy to learn that they are very good climbers, so probably it just climbed out the fence the same way it climbed in - But I cannot be too sure yet. Oh! And what’s that verse I started with? Of course, El Ropavejero, by Cri Crí, the sweet voice that saw many generations of Mexican children grow up - of course, with many critics as well.