Virginia/North American Opossum
(𝑫𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒑𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒗𝒊𝒓𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒂)
Conservation Status: Least Concern (Population increasing)

Facts: The Virginia Opossum are North America’s only marsupial! These omnivorous creatures eat just about anything they can get their paws on. While you might find them eating plants, insects and even dead animals, one of their favorite snacks are ticks! Consuming roughly 5,000 ticks every season, these animals help protect us from these disease-carrying arachnids.

Fun fact: Have you ever seen an opossum playing dead? This is a reaction to stress and fear! When exposed to extreme fear, a comatose, or frozen, response is triggered that can last anywhere from 40 minutes to 4 hours! Its body becomes limp, the feet curl underneath the body, and it looks and even smells likes it’s dead! You can poke it, turn it over and even pick it up and it won’t wake up; but don’t, as these animals are still alive!

Sources: https://nhpbs.org/natureworks/opossum.htm, https://vetmed.illinois.edu/.../06/05/the-helpful-opossum-2/, https://citywildlife.org/the-truth-about-opossums/