Page 13 - Jupiter Spotlight - August '24

Jupiter Spotlight, Page 13
Northern Notes

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