Possums may be a bit of a pest in your yard but they are extremely unusual and interesting animals if you get to know them.

Possums or Opossums

People use possum and opossum pretty interchangeably, but each name really means something a little different. Possums are a group of marsupials that are found in Australia but opossums are marsupials from the Americas.

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They're Marsupials

This is only an unusual fact when you think about the Virginia opossum, because it is the only marsupial found in North America. Though technically an opossum, most Americas just refer to these animals as possums. People are very accustomed to marsupials being an Australian phenomenon and are often surprised that the North American version is as well. That means they give birth to extremely tiny young, called joeys, and carry them around in a pouch while they finish developing.

Playing Dead

This is probably the most famous bit of odd trivia about possums, that they will keel over and play dead when threatened. It works very well for them. Most people don't realize that it's not an intentional behavior though. It's more of a reflex that happens automatically and the possum is actually unconscious when it's playing dead. They wake up naturally in an hour or two, even if the threat has passed in just a few minutes. Possums don't simply keel over either. This reflex can make them foam at the mouth and secrete a foul smell. A predator is easily tricked into thinking they are dead or very sick.

And by this, we mean they have an amazing immune system and are actually unfazed by many toxins. Most will have no problems getting bit by a rattlesnake or many other species of poisonous snake. The venom just doesn't have any effect. They are also very resistant to rabies, and are far less likely to have this disease compared to other animals like dogs or raccoons.

Jack and Jill

Most people don't know that a male possum is called a jack and a female is called a jill. Like with kangaroo, their babies are known as joeys, and a group of possums is called a passel.

Not that Harmful

People often see possums as dirty scavengers, but they're not really that bad to have around. Obviously, you don't want them digging into your garbage every night (they're nocturnal) so you should keep your trash secure. Otherwise, they can dig around for slugs, grubs, roaches, and even small rats. And as we mentioned earlier, it's not likely that your passel of possums carries disease.

Flexible Climbers

They have a naked prehensile tail that can hang on to branches, helping with climbing or letting the possum hang head-down to sleep. They also have opposable thumbs just like primates.

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