#also an opossum grabbing onto you with their back paws is the WEIRDEST feeling

[semiotomatics]

trick or treat!!!! 🎃

OH HELL YEAH

you get a bunch of opossum facts bc i love them 🥺

because of their naturally low body temperature, it's incredibly uncommon for opossums to get rabies

opossums are the only marsupial native to north america north of mexico!!

newborn opossums are the size of a honeybee 🐝

their scientific name, Didelphis virginiana—specifically the "didelphis" bit—comes from the ancient greek "di-" meaning "two" + "delphus" meaning "womb". this is bc female opossums, like all marsupials, have two sets of reproductive systems!!! what!!

only the babies can safely hang by their tails, adults are too heavy. so pls don't pick them up by their tails!! you could break them!!

their back feet have opposable thumbs :o

opossums are very clean, grooming themselves constantly like a cat!!

the whole "opossums eat bucketfuls of ticks" thing is a myth. if they do eat ticks—which they very well might, being opportunistic omnivores—they certainly don't constitute a major component of their diet.

the defense mechanism of "playing dead" is an involuntary action, similar to feinting goats!! if you find one that seems "dead", it's best to leave it be (or move it to a safe spot if it's in the road/whatever), in case it's just passed out. if it is, it'll wake up in a few minutes/hours and waddle off

they're cute as heck

#this has been an original post #clouds gets asks #clouds gets trick or treaters #I FREAKING LOVE OPOSSUMS OKAY #best animal #also an opossum grabbing onto you with their back paws is the WEIRDEST feeling #even more so when they get the tail involved #they're so *strong* #you would not expect an animal that small/timid to be that strong #(pls don't go picking up wild opossums)