Opossums are the only marsupials in North America and one of the oldest surviving mammal lineages on earth — their basic body plan has remained largely unchanged for 70 million years, predating the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Virginia opossums are remarkably resistant to a range of toxins including snake venom from pit vipers, rattlesnakes, and cottonmouths — a resistance that researchers are actively studying for potential medical applications. They consume an estimated 4,000 ticks per week during active foraging seasons, providing significant natural control of tick populations and the diseases they carry.

Playing dead — thanatosis — is an involuntary physiological response triggered by extreme fear, not a conscious strategy.

All The Fauna opossum designs are for the person who has outlasted everything life has sent their way.

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