the.com/possum
a marsupial so committed to faking death it can't choose when to start.
means A small, nocturnal marsupial native to the Americas (or, in everyday Australian usage, the unrelated possums of that region) famous for its defensive trick of feigning death when threatened.
from From the Powhatan word "aposum," recorded by English colonists in early-1600s Virginia, where it meant roughly "white animal" or "white dog" — one of the first wave of Native American words English borrowed in the New World, alongside raccoon and moccasin. "Opossum" is the fuller form; "possum" is the worn-down, front-porch version. Note the muddle: Australian "possums" got their name when European settlers thought they resembled the American originals, so a single Powhatan word ended up labelling animals on opposite sides of the planet.
- death act
- Playing dead is involuntary, like fainting from terror
- rabies-proof
- Low body temp makes them nearly immune
- tick patrol
- Eats thousands of ticks per season
- thumbs
- Opposable toes on each back foot
- ancient line
- Oldest living marsupial lineage in the Americas
virginia opossum — only marsupial native to north america, found from central america to canada
brushtail possum — australian marsupial, introduced to new zealand where population now exceeds 30 million
ringtail possum — small australian marsupial with distinctive curled tail, found in eastern forests