Page 25 - Abacoa Community News- August '24

Abacoa, Page 25

Northern Notes from page 24 Another remarkable a state called “tonic
trait of opossums is immobility,” which
One of the most their immunity to is a physiological
significant roles of various toxins and response to extreme
opossums i n t he venoms. They are stress. An opossum
ecosystem is their ability resistant to honeybee playing dead will
to control pests and stings, scorpions, typically lie on its
diseases. Their unique botulism toxin and side with its eyes closed. Its breathing will get shallow
superpower is the ability even snake venom. In and may even appear to stop completely. While they don’t
to eat ticks, which can fact, they have partial spray like skunks, opossums smell when they play dead.
spread Lyme disease. or total immunity to the venom of pit vipers like Sometimes, the opossum will loll its tongue and drool,
Opossums can consume rattlesnakes, copperheads and water moccasins. This even excreting waste to exaggerate its catatonic-like
thousands of ticks each unique immunity, known to scientists since the 1940s, is state. These signs will usually convince a predator that
week, assisting to limit being studied for potential medical applications, such as the opossum is dead, and it will lose interest.
the spread of the disease. the development of a low-cost rattlesnake antivenom. It’s important to note that the opossum and the possum
Their immunity to Lyme They are nearly impervious to rabies because their are not the same animal. In North and South America, the
disease and their role as body temperature is too low to host the rabies virus. If you animal is referred to as an opossum, while in Australia and
opportunistic scavengers see an opossum who’s hissing, drooling or swaying, don’t other countries, it is called a possum. In North America,
that eat cockroaches, panic and assume they’re rabid! Opossums use these bluff an opossum is a white and gray marsupial of the order
crickets, beetles, slugs, behaviors and play dead to outsmart potential predators. Didelphimorphia. The word “opossum” was derived from
snails, snakes and many others, make them an invaluable Contrary to popular belief, opossums aren’t staging its equivalent in Powhatan, a language spoken by the
part of the natural world. a dramatic play of their own demise. Instead, they enter Virginia Algonquian tribe, and it means “white dog or
beast” in Powhatan.
On the other hand, possums live in Australia, New
Guinea, Sulawesi, New Zealand and China. Their name
does derive from opossum. Sir Joseph Banks, a British
botanist, thought they looked enough like the American
opossum to give them a similar name. However, kangaroos
and other Australian marsupials are closer relations than
American opossums. Possums belong to the Diprotodontia
order.
Although they
may look dangerous,
opossums are
relatively docile and
harmless creatures.
T h e y h a v e so m e
fantastic superpowers
that can help humans
by limiting the spread
of diseases and cleaning up trash left by other scavengers.
Next time you see one, appreciate them for the amazing
and fascinating creatures that they are.
For more information on Florida wildlife and how you
can help, visit www.southfloridawildlifecenter.org.
South Florida Wildlife Center is a wildlife trauma
care hospital and rehabilitation facility. Its mission is
to rescue, rehabilitate, and release injured and orphaned
animals, educate the public about environmental issues
and foster a peaceful coexistence with wildlife in our local
communities. We provide educational programming to
local schools, community agencies and youth programs.
We provide wildlife rescue training for local municipality
agencies, including law enforcement and fire rescue.
NPDES tip: Hurricane Season began June 1. Make sure
your yards and trees are trimmed to avoid flying debris
during a storm. Dispose of your trimmings and clippings
properly. Do not put them into storm drains or lakes!