Wild Science: Opossum

Did you know that opossum blood might contain antivenom for treating deadly snakebites? Or that all opossum babies are born prematurely? They may look gross and scary, but that's just them playing "opossum." We visit Wildcare Inc., to find out more about the "garbage collector of the forest."

[@lindachristian4546]

One point not mentioned: rabies,distemper,immunity to snake bites could be due to their lower body temperature. I prefer their title as "Nature's sanitation engineers".

[@budmeister]

They can get rabies, but it's very rare.

[@patriciamartin4743]

I'm a proud opossum furparent...I feed a mom and her baby everynight ........I absolutely love them....

[@crystalmccullough6110]

Best pet ever. I would love to have another.

[@discipleofchrist3820]

I think they are absolutely wonderful and it breaks my heart everytime i see one sitting dead by the road, hit by a car. I will stop safely for all animals to cross. Some are like humans and get confused in the middle of the road not sure what to do next and then they are gone. It happens to pet cats, dogs, squirrels, raccoons, ect. It's sad.

[@carolynnunes3922]

M C If you’re really caring, it’s important to closely examine a dead possum. If it’s female, then there’s a possibility that she could have uninjured babies in her pouch! It’s easy to tell if the pouch has babies, and learn about the closest carer or rehabber or sanctuary that’ll take them in-or, you could learn about raising the babies yourselves!

[@bethmasey9478]

I have little sympathy for squirrels and especially raccoons. They are so annoying and destructive, and raccoons are both extremely dangerous and carry so much diseases. Cats, dogs, and the opossum, though, I completely agree.

[@chasiu75]

I love my opossums that come visit every night. It is funny to sometimes see the opossums, raccoons and foxes all eat together peacefully.

[@G56AG]

They are often considered the pacifist of the animal world, most every behavior is defensive. About the only time they go on the offense is when they are hunting rodents, they love to eat rats and mice.

[@SockyNoob]

And insects

[@G56AG]

@@SockyNoob I saw a video of a young possum placed in an enclosure with a large number of crickets, that was one happy possum. Crickets are fast and not easy to catch, but this young possum was up to the task and having a blast catching and eating those crickets!

[@kimberlycrouch7228]

I have an Opossum family that lives behind my fence. I had been feeding homeless kitties every night, then started noticing the opossums coming up to see what was in the bowl. Now, both the cats and opossums take turns waiting for each other to finish before they walk up to eat. It is so cute. Also, these little guys (opossums) seem to like to wash their lil hands in the water bowl. I can’t get enough of them. I only wish I could give them a bath!

[@whalesong999]

You mention studies of opossum blood to understand it's unique healing qualities. I encourage those who study them to also check out the make up of their saliva. I've been bitten numerous times (please, no sass, things happen, can't always be prepared..!) and the injuries healed better than virtually any other typical cut we might get in our endeavors.

[@charliedallachie3539]

One of the oldest mammals too, they were around up to 70 million years ago even before the extinction event.

[@whalesong999]

Smooth coverage of one of our least appreciated mammals in the U.S. (and now in Canada as well..!). Having handled and helped over two dozen of them over the years, I'll attest to their surprisingly good nature ( in most of them) and general cleanliness when given the opportunity to relax and have a well deserved 'time out' from a life of foraging in sparse territory.

[@xz9376]

whalesong999 Oh I hate them, they poop all over my back yard:(

[@discipleofchrist3820]

Bless you for your helping hand!

[@devilface97]

Marsupials*

[@MrMisterChiliPepper88]

There’s an opossum that comes around almost every night so we feed it many scrap foods. Sometimes foxes come about to. I rewatch the camera footage of them eating and it’s amazing, the animals of the wild are very fascinating and I am grateful to give it some food

[@stanley8441]

Ahhh hes got a lil opossum lead! So cute!

[@mikes7446]

They are so cute, been having some living under my Honeysuckle Plant. I love to feed them every night when I can. They love Fruits and Peanuts.

[@googly4038]

I love Opossums :) Im not sure where to adopt one though :(

[@carolynnunes3922]

Crackerz GD Their lifespan is only 2-4 years. Keeping one for a pet is sure heartbreak when that furry family member passes on to the hereafter...I’ve got a large backyard, and leave cat food out for the 3 “stray” cats that come at evening time. Through the years, possums have lived in my back yard. They are different ages ranging from fit-in-your-hand little to bigger than my fluffy fat cat! They eat banana peels, moldy leftovers, snails and bugs, and rats and mice! They’re great to have around, and I love watching them groom themselves with their little hands!

[@stanley8441]

Im a cute lil opossum, adopt me!

[@mikes7446]

Cool didn’t think they’d like to eat the Banana peels. I’ll give them the peels also.

[@anndor9432]

Он такой замечательный актер! Вот бы получить его автограф!

[@warrior_girl_6837]

Opossums are my favorite animals ❤️

[@CheifMcCloud]

If there was a god, Possums would be the their favorite creatures.

[@Kerrsartisticgifts]

I just discovered that the feral cat my wife thinks she's been feeding and housing in the cathouses she's bought and put under the bush outside my eye level basement window is actually an opossum. She's been trying to get a look at this poor cat and leaving food for it all Winter and up till now, June. I heard it and went to the window last night and I woke up my wife to see it at long last. Only it's back end was visible at first and so my wife opened the window to talk to the cat, our young cat that hangs around out there now, immediately jumped out and sat there as the opossum turned around calmly and looked at us ignoring our cat. I guess the cat and opossum have come to know each other but I laughed at the shocked look on my wife's face. She's just put the food out for it a few minutes ago so I guess she's accepted that it's an opossum and not a cat she's been feeding. I said it would be cuter when we get used to it, it's not an ugly cat it's a cute opossum.

[@stripervince1]

Cool creatures, I have a wild one that I feed nightly, she is quite friendly. Harmless little sweetie that just wants to eat and live it's really short lifespan in happiness. I'm trying to help her. Love my little petunia possum. See her video on my page, stripervince1

[@ordinaryman2299]

strangely if they see a dog first they will play dead, the dog will sniff it and leave it alone, but if the dog stumbles on the opossum first it's chase instinct will activate and it will pursue the critter that is practically defenseless and at the mercy of the dog, the opossum's best chance of not being to molested is to be cornered by a harmless house dog that is just curious. but the play dead instinct of the opossum is weird to watch, but serves the critter well, most animals will leave a dead animal alone !!!

[@stanley8441]

They are wombles!

[@cscar1385]

Y’all know you can spell it possum as well right?

[@richeyrich]

Omg. Its poor tail or lack there of. 👀😳😭😭

[@benhinn7751]

I love possums.

[@johnparton92]

Possums are OSSUM

[@aiyanalam5784]

what does an opossum do?

[@gavinvalentino6002]

*What an opposum wants.*

[@thomasl1061]

Alien Jellybeans 😂

[@travisricks3436]

I want a possum for a pet! Been watching videos on them. Found a dead one in the road the other day and checked it’s pouch but no babies.

[@GGG-rx7df]

симпотичная))))очень красивая))))

[@asadyousufi]

Wait.... It should be a wild opossum. Why I saw a pet opossum?

[@Holy_Orange_Bottles]

Sometimes when injured opossums are rescued from the wild to get medical treatment, they are later unable to be released back into the wild due to loss of limb or permanent injury discovered by its rescuers. They then give it the best quality of life possible and it becomes a rescue animal that can have a pretty normal life with some easy adjustments.

[@CallOfApache]

This opossum is cute , the other ones i see are ugly lol

[@Wolfman1987]

Love possums

[@stevenforman3044]

Thanks heaps for sharing. :D

[@Mytesmyth]

The takuache cuhh

[@makeracistsafraidagain]

I live in Northern California and I'm bad... I can't resist petting every opossum I see. I'm very slow, gentle and quiet so none have ever played possum on me. We have opossums in our yard most nights and we love them. We had a pet opossum 40 years ago and I would love to have one again. Sweet and affectionate. Easy to litter box train but messy eaters.

[@JOHNTOPG]

Wild scene presents pet possum..

[@Phrenotopia]

0:39 Uh, no, the scientific name for the North American opossum is 'Didelphis virginiana'. The 'Didelphimorphia' mentioned is the entire order comprising more than a hundred species all over both Americas.

[@coqui8667]

Beauty