Do you know what a marsupial is? Marsupials are pouched mammals. The Virginia opossum or the common opossum is the only marsupial found in the United States and Canada. It is a solitary nocturnal animal.
The Virginia opossum’s diet is quite interesting; it eats anything including fruits, insects, earthworms, eggs, nestlings and birds, reptiles, amphibians and small mammals. It sometimes feeds on carrion as well. Insects such as grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles make up the bulk of its diet. It is interesting to note that it also eats venomous snakes; it is immune to pit viper venom. The animal is resistant to rabies as well.
It would not be wrong to say that Virginia opossums are good actors. If caught on the ground and is not able to escape, a Virginia opossum may become catatonic. That is, it would appear to be unconscious or dead, though most of its bodily functions would remain normal.
Picture Credit : Google