What's up with the opossums?
Here are 5 things we can learn from possums and why they're my mascot!
01
Live fast, eat trash
Most opossums only live for about 1-2 years, which means they don't have a lot of time to waste on stress and drama! So live like an opossum; tomorrow is never promised, let's make the best of things!
02
You can survive anything
Opossums have been around longer than we have. Fossil records show that they were there at the time of dinosaurs and that they’ve survived multiple mass extinctions. Despite the myriad of threats it has faced for centuries, from predators to habitat loss, the opossum persists through its resiliency and tenacity. So like the opossum, we each have survived many trials throughout our life time and will continue to persevere!
03
The only constant is change
One of the most interesting things about the opossum is its habitat range. They live all over North America to the east of the Rocky Mountains. They can be found in southern Ontario, all the way down to Costa Rica in Central America. They are one of Nature’s most adaptable creatures and will always be able to evolve with changing environments. Being adaptable helps us develop new perspectives, which in turn, help us grow and solve challenges.
04
When in doubt, play dead
Opossums are usually shy and harmless animals, but they are well known for one of their defense mechanisms. If an opossum feels they are in real danger, they might “play possum” and appear dead. When the opossum feels that he is no longer in danger, he will revive himself and move on. Similarly, sometimes the best thing we can do is nothing-- with enough time, most problems will resolve themselves. Remember, letting go is not the same as giving up!
05
Know your worth
Opossums are truly misunderstood and under-appreciated animals. Some people shortsightedly write them off as pests, find them to be scary or even downright gross. But in reality, opossums are gentle, shy creatures who generally clean up messes rather than make them and help the ecosystem in many ways. They have even been nicknamed "Nature's Little Sanitation Engineers!" Opossums also show immunity to numerous types of snake venom and their blood could hold the key to fighting snake bites around the world. This just goes to show how important it is to know who you are and what you bring to the table!
