Opossum Appreciation Thread - All possums welcome

[MerriedxReldnahc]

Post cute opossums and share your love of trash babies

Fun Opossum Facts!!

-The North American Opossum, also called the Virginia Opossum is native to the east coast of the United States and was brought to the west coast as a food source. If my grandmother were still with us she could tell you what they taste like.

-They are North America's only marsupial.

-Opossums kill 95% of all ticks they come across, eating up to 5000 in one season.

-They are immune to snake venom, and (I'm pretty sure) spider bites as well. In some areas opossums even eat copperheads and rattlesnakes.

-Due to their low blood temperature, opossums are effectively immune to rabies because the pathogen can't survive in their bloodstream long enough to reach their brain. However, I've heard that it is possible for a opossum to contract it if they were bit in the head. Rabies is weird.

-They have 50 teeth and they freaking hurt. Thankfully they are not aggressive and are not going to bite you unless you're trying to pull one out of it's crate to weigh it.



I volunteer at a wildlife clinic and while 80% of my job is powerwashing poop off of things I have worked with opossums, I might be able to answer any opossum related questions you have or at least find the answer.

 

[The Fool]

We had a opossum around here last year, we'd leave out catfood every night and watch it eat from afar. I think a total of three eventually started showing up regularly. They didn't come back this year.

 

[AMERICA]

Opposums eat ticks, are cute, and don't hurt anyone. Pretty based animal tbh

 

[Golly]

I will share someone else's love of trash babies.

 

[millais]

Anything that eats ticks is probably good for us

 

[j666]

10/10 thread

 

[Pissmaster]

Buncha foreigners ITT

I had to clean up three dead ones over the course of the year, including one that died right next to my air conditioner and made my place smell like unholy hell for a day. I also have to dodge them in my car fairly often, they're always slowly walking across the street and don't give a fuck about traffic. Never actually hit one, though.

Also, they're heavier than they look, and even when they're hauling ass they're pretty slow. It's funny to run after one in the backyard and watch him waddle off as fast as possible

-The North American Opossum, also called the Virginia Opossum

That makes sense, they're like the CWC of the animal kingdom. Fun to look at from afar, not fun when you have to deal with them IRL.

 

[GHTD]

My security camera picked up one of these the other night. Interesting little fellas.

10/10 thread.

 

[Stilgar of Troon]

Opposums eat ticks, are cute, and don't hurt anyone. Pretty based animal tbh
View attachment 1710575

Sounds more appealing than most people I know, tbh...

 

[Okkervils]

I’ve been told I am one.

 

[NOT Sword Fighter Super]

Possums are actually pretty cute.
I thought they were nasty but I came across a baby one irl and it was adorable.

 

[Professional Lurker]

 

[ZombiefiedFerret]

*monch monch*

 

[Celebrate Nite]

*looks at pictures in thread*
People actually have these as pets?

We have them all the time here, they come out at night like the Raccoons do. Once in a while you'll see roadkill of them on a street.

 

[MerriedxReldnahc]

Also, they're heavier than they look, and even when they're hauling ass they're pretty slow. It's funny to run after one in the backyard and watch him waddle off as fast as possible

They are pretty strong sons-of-a-bitches, I've had trouble trying to grab larger ones out of their enclosures because they can get such a good grip things. You have to grab them by the tail and try to get your other hand on their belly (while also not getting pooped on) for the best hold on them.

*looks at pictures in thread*
People actually have these as pets?

People probably do even though it's illegal, you can have one if you work in wildlife rehab and the opossum has something that makes them unreleasable. We've got a little one at the clinic who is blind so we're training her as an educational animal.

 

[benis154262]

I wonder why more people DON'T keep opposums as pets honestly
I don't see how they're any different than, say, ferrets

 

[The Fool]

I wonder why more people DON'T keep opposums as pets honestly
I don't see how they're any different than, say, ferrets

Whole reason we started feeding them around here is because they remind my family of ferrets which is our favorite animal/pet.

But also it's because ferrets have long been domesticated whereas opossums are still wild animals. Same reason we can't own raccoons.

 

[Santiagothrumachifacku]

Some talented musicians

 

[Blop]

I love opossums.

 

[UnKillFill]

I'd try it.