The “Oh So Adorable!” (But Misunderstood) Opossum

The “Oh So Adorable!” (But Misunderstood) Opossum

By Amelia “Mia” Sampilo ’26

I am a nature lover — from trees, wildflowers, and wide-open spaces to creatures that crawl, fly, and swim I love them all, including the northernmost marsupial in the world the opossum! A marsupial is a female animal that usually has a pouch on its abdomen to carry its young. When looking at these marsupials, you may see what you think is a scary, horrible, rabies-infested animal, but it is my mission to prove you wrong! These animals do so much to help our environment, and one of those jobs is eating those sometimes-pesky bugs in our world. Opossums also reduce Lyme disease since they eat many ticks. In fact, opossums eat 95% of the ticks they find, and in the wilderness, there are a lot of ticks!

The “Oh So Adorable!” (But Misunderstood) Opossum

By Amelia “Mia” Sampilo ’26

Opossums are also rather harmless. When many people think of opossums, they usually think of scary, rabid, and angry animals, but that is far from true. Opossums are at an extremely low risk of rabies, and it is rare they attack humans. The stigma around them is probably due to the defense methods of playing dead or sticking out their teeth while hissing, but this is all for show because they are truly just shy animals. These creatures are also the only marsupials native to North America and are part of nature’s cleaning crew.

Opossums are scavengers and eat deceased creatures. Opossums are actually very clean creatures and clean themselves using their paws just like cats!

The “Oh So Adorable!” (But Misunderstood) Opossum continued

By Amelia “Mia” Sampilo

’26

Did you know that they actually have a saying for playing dead? It’s called “playing possum, ” and it’s used to refer to animals who are playing dead! Some ducks and snakes even play dead! These do this, of course, as a last-resort response to a lifethreatening situation!

Opossums are adorable and are very soft. In addition, because they can make hilarious facial expressions, they are common in some styles of memes. In fact, they entered the meme scene back in 2014 -- that shows that anything is possum-ble.

So the next time you see this animal don’t scream, instead look at them with a new light for all they do for us and the world!

It’s cold out there. Please be kind to opossums. Many of them are just seeking a safe, warm, and cozy place to combat the cold (so many we see are missing parts of their tails, ears, and toes due to previous frostbite); your garage or porch may be the only place they have. They won’t hurt anything, I promise, and shooing them out may be certain death due to lack of shelter.

Did I mention that the beloved Virginia opossum, also known as the North American opossum, is the only marsupial in Northern America? So, please, this holiday season, be careful and show patience toward all creatures, great and small, who may simply be trying to get to the other side of the road to be with their loved ones for the holidays!