Opossum Awareness

The Virginia opossum (derived from the Algonquin word opassum  meaning white-faced dog) is North America's only marsupial. Due to their low core body temperature they're immune to rabies, there have only been 12 reported cases of a rabid opossum.  Opossums are also immune to snake bites, they can survive up to 80 rattlesnake and coral snake bites. As a matter of fact scientists have recently isolated a peptide in opossums' blood and it's used to help treat snake bite victims.  Opossums are opportunistic omnivorous scavengers, they eat ticks, which helps prevents Lyme Disease, as well as snakes and mice; and leftover carrion from the kills of predators. Opossums only defenses are showing their teeth, but will bite you if you get too close, and playing dead. Playing dead is an involuntary reaction to a stressful situation, and they can stay in this stress induced paralysis for up to four hours. During which time they secrete a liquid from their anus that makes them smell dead. Opossums have bi-furcated genitalia, and being marsupials they carry their young in an open pouch in their bellies, and when the joeys (also called pups) get big enough to leave the pouch they ride upon their mother's back.