Opossums have 50 teeth, the most of any North American land mammal. Their mouths are full of sharp incisors, making their defensive “open mouth” look especially intimidating (despite them being mostly harmless).
#2
Their thumbs are on their feet! Opossums have opposable halluces (big toes) on their hind feet, which act like thumbs and help them climb.
#3
They produce a protein in their blood called Lethal Toxin-Neutralizing Factor (LTNF) that makes them immune to nearly all snake venom, including rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, and even scorpions and bee stings.
#4
"Playing possum" is an actual physiological reaction. When frightened, opossums go into involuntary shock, presenting with with foaming saliva, limp limbs, and even a foul-smelling fluid from their anuses that makes them smell like death.
#5
Opossums have a body temperature too low to support the rabies virus. This makes them one of the least likely mammals to contract or spread rabies.
#6
They have a short memory, but exceptional spatial memory. They remember where food is better than rats, cats, or dogs in maze experiments.
#7
They groom obsessively and can remove ticks from their fur expertly. They consume over 5,000 ticks in a season, helping with Lyme disease prevention.
