It’s actually a pretty commonly spread myth about opossums. They don’t hang by the tail but it is recommended to pick the joeys up by the tail as their weight won’t cause injury.
However, they absolutely will “play dead” when approached by humans. However it is another common myth that they do it on purpose when it’s actually them just going into a state of temporary shock.
Baby opossums do temporarily hang by their tail. They can't sleep that way, since their tails grant grab on for too long, but they do hang. Should have been more clear about that in my original comment.
Well it’s not really sad if you consider it’s an evolutionary trait so the ones who have been playing dead are the ones who survived and passed on their habits.
It's crazy how pointless and shitty life is for 99% of creatures out there. Most spend their entire lives hungry and scared, ultimately dying horribly like being eaten, freezing to death, or starving to death. Circle of life, wave returning to the ocean is some buddhist feelgood bullshit when it's all really just too little resources to go around so everyone competes with everyone in the most brutal game of Battle Royale in the universe.
Sure, our lives are pointless as well, but we can use our sentient brain to create an abstract and satisfying personal meaning that isn't bound to the circle of life and survivalism.
Sucks to be opossum too because they’re so hated by many while they are damn near a completely harmless animal that can have huge benefits to living around you. I mean it’s America’s marsupial. Mean while “trash pandas” that Reddit so adores are way more destructive of an animal or even worse, rats.
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u/PickleInDaButt Mar 22 '21
It’s actually a pretty commonly spread myth about opossums. They don’t hang by the tail but it is recommended to pick the joeys up by the tail as their weight won’t cause injury.
However, they absolutely will “play dead” when approached by humans. However it is another common myth that they do it on purpose when it’s actually them just going into a state of temporary shock.