To be technical, they're called opossums, and as anyone in the country knows, they have the unique defense mechanism of playing dead in order to have their predator (in this case, Rosey) leave them alone. (Only Rosey cannot understand it when her prey starts to slowly crawl away. It would be like watching your steak walk off your plate...Poor Rosey. Poor Possum.)
One wiki search and you'll find that playing dead isn't the only trick little dude is capable of. For starters, it turns out this coma-like state he goes into when in extreme fear is totally involuntary and that by going into this state, the predator after it, looses all interest in eating it. But in case that's not enough, a really startled possum drool starts to form drool, which appears as bubbles blowing out its nose, leaving predators like Rosey thinking it's sick (another unappetizing plus for Mr. O).
Just as involuntary, is the teeth-showing snarl that leaves humans thinking the little guys are fierce. (And while I'm told they are not, no one in her right mind would reach down to pet one in this posture.) But finally, as if Mother Nature had not used all her tricks on this otherwise defenseless little creature, as a final message of "back away dude" a REALLY scared opossum will emit a green stench of a back-side fluid, just for good measure. (They do not spray like skunks, but I'm told it can smell just as bad. Fortunately, we didn't get that far with ours.)
Suffice it to say when I heard all the commotion, and my flashlight revealed what was going on, it was easy enough to get Rosey inside. (Turns out Rosey, my cookie-monstor Pyr, will take "Cookie? Cookie?"any day over apparently dead, stinking possum.)
Once left to his own devices, a few kibbles and a little humming, the guy was up and at 'em, scurrying quietly into the dark of night.
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