Meet North America’s Only Marsupial

In honor of Prattle On, Boyo’s tenth year on the web, I wanted to spotlight North America’s only marsupial–the much maligned opossum. You may have also heard them referred to as possums but the latter is correct ONLY_IF you’re talking about a marsupial who lives in Australia, New Guinea, Sulawesi, New Zealand and China. So now that we have firmly distinguished possum from opossum, let’s sing the praises of the greyish/whitish colored critter often seen at night prowling backyards and/or scurrying down the sidewalk with a batch of babies clutching onto her back.

Ten Amazing Facts about Opossums

1.  They’re Not Aggressive

You may have heard the phrase, “playing possum” and wondered what it meant.  It comes from the technique employed to appear to be dead to avoid a confrontation with a threat.  Ms. Opossum can stay  knocked out hours all the while emitting a foul stench to keep away any predators that may be thinking of having an opossum sandwich.   And while they may bare their teeth, opossum will never attack so don’t worry about Fluffy or FiFi.   Worry more about the pesticides/rodenticide your neighbor is using in his garden/on his lawn as pets are much more likely to be harmed by the Poison Industry than an opossum.

2.  They Rarely Have Rabies

Unlike most wild animals, opossums are nearly completely immune to contracting rabies or passing it along.  According to science, this is due to their natural body temperature being much too low to maintain hosting the rabies virus.

3.  They Eat Thousands of Ticks

Ticks are nasty parasites widely distributed around the world especially in warm, humid climates.  They have long been the blood-sucking bane of many a mammal, including our own beloved pets.  Ticks are synonymous with transmitting Lyme Disease but Ms. Opossum is a voracious tick eater.  She can potentially eliminate 4,000 ticks inside of a single week.   She will also quickly vacuum all those icky insects in the backyard and may even chomp on mice if they get in her way.   Opossums rid us of the real pests.

4.  They Won’t Destroy Your Lawn or Property

Unlike other nocturnal creatures creeping around in the dark, opossums won’t destroy anything and they don’t spray like skunks.  So if you happen to see a wandering opossum in your garage or house, simply leave the door open and remove any food that might have drawn them inside.  They’ll eventually leave without any of the drama the local animal control agency will invoke as these agencies prefer to KILL anything they’re called about, including kittens.

5.  They Are True Survivors

Opossums have been around a lot longer than any other mammal.  They are often called living fossils because they’ve been able to survive on the planet for millions of years–over 70 million, in fact–which shows an ability to overcome adversity.

6.  They Help with Waste Management

Opossum are not picky eaters–they will eat whatever is available, including road kill/carrion (bones and all).  They are nature’s most efficient waste-management team and clean-up crew.

7.  They Are the Only Marsupials Indigenous to North America

Yes, it’s true.  Whenever you hear the word, marsupial, you probably think of the land down under.  But we have our very own unique critter who carries her babies in her pouch until they’re old enough to cling to her back.

8.  They Get Rid of Garden Pests

Opossums love to dine on slugs, beetles and cockroaches but will leave your flowers and veggies undisturbed.

9.  They May Be the Key to Battling Venomous Snake Bites

The venom of slithery snakes that may be hiding in your backyard has no effect on opossum.   Researchers have been attempting to isolate the toxin-neutralizing strain found in opossum blood which could potentially be used to treat humans who have been bitten by poisonous snakes such as rattlers and cottonmouths.

10.  They’re Smart Little Critters

Opossums tested with a higher intelligence than other domestic animals such as rabbits, dogs and cats, particularly when it came to finding tasty grub and remembering exactly where it was to go back for more.   So if you find a family passing through your backyard, leave Awesome Possum to her job of ridding the nasty pests that attack your garden and cause pestilence/illness.  Nature put her on the planet for a very specific reason so don’t f*ck with the natural order of the universe.