Page 5 - Jupiter Ocean Mile - August '24

Jupiter Ocean Mile, Page 5
Northern Notes

Awesome Opossums! can spread Lyme disease. Opossums can consume It’s important to note
thousands of ticks each week, assisting to limit the spread that the opossum and the
By Katie Roundtree, of the disease. Their immunity to Lyme disease and their possum are not the same
Director of Finance and role as opportunistic scavengers that eat cockroaches, animal. In North and South
Administration crickets, beetles, slugs, snails, snakes and many others, America, the animal is
Northern Palm Beach make them an invaluable part of the natural world. referred to as an opossum,
County Improvement Another remarkable trait of opossums is their immunity while in Australia and other
District to various toxins and venoms. They are resistant to honeybee countries, it is called a
Virginia Opossums, stings, scorpions, botulism toxin and even snake venom. In possum. In North America,
the animal native to fact, they have partial or total immunity to the venom of pit an opossum is a white and gray marsupial of the order
North America and, more vipers like rattlesnakes, copperheads and water moccasins. Didelphimorphia. The word “opossum” was derived from
specifically, Florida, is a This unique immunity, known to scientists since the 1940s, its equivalent in Powhatan, a language spoken by the
misunderstood and one of is being studied for potential medical applications, such as Virginia Algonquian tribe, and it means “white dog or
nature’s more fascinating the development of a low-cost rattlesnake antivenom. beast” in Powhatan.
animals. It is the northernmost marsupial in the world and They are nearly impervious to rabies because their body On the other hand, possums live in Australia, New
North America’s only marsupial. A female opossum gives temperature is too low to host the rabies virus. If you see Guinea, Sulawesi, New Zealand and China. Their name does
birth to tiny, underdeveloped young opossums, who will grow an opossum who’s hissing, drooling or swaying, don’t derive from opossum. Sir Joseph Banks, a British botanist,
up in the mother’s pouch for 8 panic and assume they’re rabid! Opossums use these bluff thought they looked enough like the American opossum to
to 10 weeks. Once the young behaviors and play dead to outsmart potential predators. give them a similar name. However, kangaroos and other
emerge from the pouch, the Contrary to popular Australian marsupials are closer relations than American
offspring will remain with belief, opossums aren’t opossums. Possums belong to the Diprotodontia order.
the mother, sometimes riding staging a dramatic play of Although they may look dangerous, opossums are
on her back, for another six their own demise. Instead, relatively docile and harmless creatures. They have some
weeks. This earns her one they enter a state called fantastic superpowers that can help humans by limiting
of her nicknames, “nature’s “tonic immobility,” which is the spread of diseases and cleaning up trash left by other
minivan.” Once weaned and ready to forage on their own, a physiological response to scavengers. Next time you see one, appreciate them for
the mother will shake any remaining offspring off her back extreme stress. An opossum the amazing and fascinating creatures that they are.
and move on to another area, leaving the young to continue playing dead will typically For more information on Florida wildlife and how you
on their own. lie on its side with its eyes can help, visit www.southfloridawildlifecenter.org.
Opossums, as omnivores, play a crucial role in the closed. Its breathing will South Florida Wildlife Center is a wildlife trauma
ecosystem. They consume plants, insects and small get shallow and may even care hospital and rehabilitation facility. Its mission is
animals, and are known to scavenge for food in trash appear to stop completely. to rescue, rehabilitate, and release injured and orphaned
cans, earning them the nickname “nature’s garbage man.” While they don’t spray animals, educate the public about environmental issues
Their scavenging habits make them excellent cleanup like skunks, opossums and foster a peaceful coexistence with wildlife in our local
crews, helping to keep the smell when they play dead. communities. We provide educational programming to
environment free of waste. Sometimes, the opossum local schools, community agencies and youth programs.
One of t he most will loll its tongue and We provide wildlife rescue training for local municipality
significant roles of drool, even excreting waste agencies, including law enforcement and fire rescue.
opossums in the ecosystem to exaggerate its catatonic- NPDES Tip: Hurricane Season began June 1. Make
is their ability to control like state. These signs will sure your yards and trees are trimmed to avoid flying
pests and diseases. Their usually convince a predator debris during a storm. Dispose of your trimmings and
unique superpower is the that the opossum is dead, clippings properly. Do not put them into storm drains or
ability to eat ticks, which and it will lose interest. lakes!