Opossum family

04/17/2026

One of my new babies that I am taking care of, to release when he is big enough.

04/13/2026

04/08/2026

They call us ugly.
They call us pests.
They say we don't belong.
But we were here first.
We raise our babies.
We keep ecosystems balanced.
We're just trying to live the life meant for us.
THE OPOSSUM:
→ Eats 5,000 ticks per season
→ Immune to most snake venom
→ Nearly impossible to get rabies
→ "Plays dead" because it's TERRIFIED of you
THE RACCOON:
→ Remembers problem solutions for 3+ years
→ Has more sensory receptors in paws than most mammals
→ Washes food to "see" it better through touch
→ Just wants to eat and raise babies
THE SKUNK:
→ Eats grubs destroying your lawn
→ Digs up yellow jacket nests (you're welcome)
→ Only sprays as absolute LAST resort
→ Stomps feet and warns you FIRST
You call the exterminator. You put out poison. You shoot them.
For WHAT?
For eating the pests you'd pay money to remove?
For existing in a neighborhood built on THEIR home?
Kindness should include all lives.
They're not beautiful to everyone. They're not always welcomed. They're not always understood.
But they're just trying to live the life meant for them.
Maybe let them.

04/08/2026

Opossums are immune to most North American snake venom.

And scientists want to know why.

→ A protein in opossum blood called LTNF (Lethal Toxin Neutralizing Factor) neutralizes venom
→ They regularly eat copperheads, rattlesnakes, and cottonmouths
→ They are one of the few predators of venomous snakes
→ Researchers are studying LTNF to develop a universal antivenom for humans
→ Published research (2015, San Jose State University) showed opossum-derived peptides protected mice from cobra, rattlesnake, and scorpion venom

The opossum immunity portfolio:
→ Snake venom: immune
→ Rabies: nearly immune (body temperature too low)
→ Bee and wasp stings: highly resistant
→ Botulinum toxin: resistant
→ Ricin: partially resistant
→ They're basically walking antidote machines

What else they eat:
→ Cockroaches (dozens per night)
→ Ticks (though the 5,000/season claim is debunked — they still eat some)
→ Carrion (sanitation service)
→ Slugs, snails, beetles
→ Mice and rats
→ Overripe fruit (seed dispersal)

The opossum is North America's only marsupial.
It's immune to snake venom.
It's nearly immune to rabies.
And we treat it like garbage.

The animal you killed with a shovel might have been developing the cure for snakebite.

Leave it alone. Science needs it. 🧪

04/07/2026

Nature - Before judging opossums, learn who they really are.

04/07/2026

A homeowner stepping out into their backyard late at night to fill a bowl of stray cat food managed to capture an incredibly sweet and highly unusual family dynamic on camera. Walking carefully along the top edge of a weathered wooden privacy fence was a scruffy mama opossum, carrying a heavy load of her own tiny, grey babies clinging tightly to the fur on her back. However, a closer look at the nocturnal procession revealed an unexpected, brightly colored stowaway hitching a ride right in the middle of the marsupial family.

Mixed perfectly in with the pile of baby opossums was a tiny, lost orange tabby kitten, holding on to the mother's fur just as tightly as her biological offspring. The incredibly tolerant mama opossum seemed completely unbothered by the fact that she had picked up a feline hitchhiker, happily carrying the abandoned stray kitten along with her own litter to ensure it stayed safe from predators on the ground. The adorable image quickly proved that these often misunderstood backyard animals possess a remarkable, gentle maternal instinct that easily crosses species lines.

03/29/2026

An opossum is eating from your compost pile.

Good.

Opossums at compost piles are a FEATURE, not a bug.

What they're doing:
→ Eating rotting fruit and vegetables (cleaning up before they attract rats)
→ Eating slugs and snails that come for the scraps
→ Eating cockroaches attracted to the pile
→ Eating carrion and spoiled food
→ ACCELERATING decomposition by turning and aerating the pile

Opossums at your compost:
→ Nearly immune to rabies
→ Won't attack you, your pets, or your children
→ Are nocturnal — you'll rarely see them
→ Will leave if frightened (or faint dramatically, then leave)
→ Are not interested in your living plants
→ Won't establish a den IN the compost (they prefer enclosed spaces)

If you DON'T want opossums at your compost:
→ Use an enclosed tumbler-style composter
→ Don't add meat, dairy, or cooked food (attracts more wildlife)
→ Turn the pile regularly (disrupts visits)

But honestly?

An opossum at your compost is the most helpful wildlife visit you'll ever get.

They eat the pests the compost attracts.
They eat the stuff that would attract rats.
They eat the cockroaches.
They eat the slugs.

And then they waddle away.

Your compost pile hired a night janitor.

Let it do its job. 🐾

03/29/2026

As the weather warms up around the country, you might be seeing more wild animals active. Don't be alarmed! Wild animals like opossums are excellent for the environment and are just trying to survive, too. 🧡

03/29/2026

Opossums don't "play dead."

They have an involuntary neurological response. Basically — they FAINT from fear.

→ It's called "tonic immobility" or "apparent death"
→ The opossum's body goes completely limp
→ Heart rate drops dramatically
→ Eyes glaze over or close
→ Tongue hangs out
→ A**l glands release a death-mimicking odor
→ The opossum CANNOT control this. It's not an act.
→ It can last anywhere from 40 minutes to 4+ HOURS

This is NOT a choice. It's a seizure-like defensive response triggered by extreme fear.

The opossum is essentially unconscious. It can't "snap out of it."

If you find a "dead" opossum:

→ DO NOT touch it, poke it, or move it
→ DO NOT assume it's actually dead
→ Leave it alone for 2-4 hours
→ Check back — if it's gone, it "woke up" and left
→ If it hasn't moved in 4+ hours, call wildlife rescue

What opossums actually do for you:
→ Nearly IMMUNE to rabies (body temp too low)
→ Eat cockroaches, mice, snakes, ticks, and carrion
→ They are nature's cleanup crew
→ North America's only marsupial — babies ride in a pouch

The animal lying "dead" on your sidewalk is having the worst day of its life.

It's terrified. It can't move. It's waiting for the danger to pass.

Let it be. Walk away. It'll be gone by morning.

And it'll spend tonight cleaning up your yard. 🐾

03/29/2026

They might not win any beauty contests… but these little night wanderers are actually some of nature’s unsung heroes.

Opossums may look a bit spooky at first glance, but here’s the cool part:
👉 They rarely carry rabies
👉 They can eat thousands of ticks every year
👉 They help keep your yard healthier and safer

Instead of chasing them away, consider them your quiet garden guardians

Sometimes the creatures we misunderstand the most are the ones helping us the most.

Would you welcome one in your backyard?

03/22/2026

While Mama sleeps, the Joeys eat.

03/12/2026

Our sweet girl from yesterday that was hit by a car is making some improvements! I wasn’t expecting her to make it through the night honestly. But here she is😍