Awesome Opossums
When a venomous snake bites a person or pet, one of the main treatments is a medicine called antivenom, which helps to fight the harmful toxic effects of snake venom. Traditional antivenoms are very expensive and require quick access to a medical facility that has them available, like a hospital or a veterinarian’s office.
But opossums just might be able to save the day. Scientists have figured out a possible way to copy the opossum superpower that protects it from snake venom. This may lead to a new kind of antivenom that is a lot less expensive and that fewer people would be allergic to.
More than one way to look and see.
In Copper’s Distract Fact about the name opossum versus possum, I mentioned a few places where you might be able to see an opossum. If you are ever out on a hike in the woods, you might not notice an opossum but you could see evidence of one. The Scats and Tracks books by James Halfpenny (there are different ones for different regions) are fun to have on hand for identifying the scat (poop) and tracks left behind by wildlife in the area. You can check with your librarian or your bookstore of choice if you’re interested in learning more about another way of seeing wildlife!
Learn more about all those opossum superpowers
It is often said that opossums are kind of misunderstood creatures, and I think that’s true. When you look a little closer, you find out that there are all sorts of neat things to know about opossums.
Kids, remember to ask a parent, teacher, or librarian for help whenever you are looking for books or using the Internet. I always try to make sure to share kid-friendly books and resources, but websites are changing all the time, so always check with an adult first.
- This episode of the PBS show Untamed features lots of interesting stuff about opossums, including some of the ways the Wildlife Center of Virginia helps opossums who have been injured. https://www.wildlifecenter.org/episode-five-opossums
- Opossums are so awesome that some U.S. Presidents even kept them as pets! https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2019/08/of-possums-and-presidents-some-presidential-encounters-with-opossums/