Hey, guys, Ranger Babe here! So, as my name suggests, I am really into wildlife. While this does include traditionally cute critters like rabbits and squirrels, there is one animal in particular that never ceases to make me smile... Opossums. I know, I know, they are not the most popular species of wildlife out there, but just hold on a minute. Believe it or not, opossums are not that bad, and are even really valuable to the environment. A lot of the negative opinions we have of opossums are due to media and pop culture, but sometimes they don't tell you the whole truth. To prove it to you, here's how these furry critters are like the most elusive species of all... College students.
1. Opossums scream... A lot.
Okay, so they don't actually scream, it's more of a hiss... But almost any time you see a wild opossum in person, they'll oftentimes open their mouth wide as a way to make them look dangerous. In reality, though, they just get scared really easily. I don't know about you guys, but I, too, scream. I use it as a type of defense, except it is more of a defense against the stress of upcoming exams and projects. Not only that, but any given day I can hear my fellow exam stressers from a mile away, especially during midterms and finals.
2. Their fashion is 30% cute, 70% cozy and practical.
Sometimes, college students have too much on their mind to put thought into picking a cute outfit. A lot of times, we still look presentable, and sometimes even manage to look somewhat decent... But I'm not going to lie, I rolled out of bed this morning, threw on sweatpants, and walked out the door. Just from talking to other classmates, I am not alone in doing that. Opossums are the same way, except they never have to change clothes. To put it more in human terms, they have a thrift store coat that they bought for less than $5 and a cheap pair of fingerless gloves. The bright side is that they keep warm, and they are still cuddly most of the time (Just like college students).
3. When faced with stress, we play dead.
Just like how college students scream with stress, we also have a tendency to play dead. Sometimes we can control it, sometimes it just hits us out of the blue. With opossums, it is actually not able to be controlled. This is a defense mechanism that automatically happens when faced with immense amounts of stress. Playing dead can last from minutes to hours, and can even increase their risk of death. I don't know about you, but this scenario seems all too familiar to me. Okay, maybe actually dying is a bit dramatic, but so is playing dead when you think you failed your zoology exam.
4. We eat everything, even if it's bad for us.
I am in three different clubs on campus. When we have meetings, flyers are put around the Biology building so people know when and where the meeting is. When officers really need people to come, pizza is provided in bulk. It never fails; a typical club meeting has about 20 people attending, but students will come out of the woodwork for a slice of cheesy goodness. Opossums also flock to food, no matter if it's a bowl of grapes or a cardboard bucket that once contained KFC. If it's free, it's free, and that is not at all a species-specific concept.
5. We swear, we don't have rabies.
See this little guy? He seems pretty shocked that anyone would imply that he would have rabies. That can't be, though, because all opossums have rabies, right? Survey says no. It is my belief that people think opossums have rabies because of the fact that they foam at the mouth when they play dead. In reality, it is more likely that your pet dog will get rabies than an opossum. No one would ever shun a dog because it has a chance of getting rabies, why do that with opossums? I'm not going to lie, I have seen countless college students that seem to be foaming at the mouth. What is really going on is that they are on their 10th cup of Starbucks and 3rd hour of sleep for the week. They don't have rabies, at least I don't think they do.
6. Even though we're a little strange, we can make a big impact.
While we might get stressed, not always be presentable, and are not the healthiest creatures, we can make a huge impact in the world we live in. When it comes to opossums, they are able to get rid of ticks, snakes (venomous and nonvenomous), and even bones on the forest floor. The thing is that opossums never expect anything in return; they just do the job that is natural to them. College students are like this, too. Okay, we may not eat ticks, but we do what feels natural to us. We pursue fields that feel good to us, fields that will help us to make an impact. Most of us don't do this for fame or even money, but because it is what we feel called to do. Let's use this calling to not just improve our life and those of others around us, but to also exercise understanding of the world we live in.
Wander on,
Ranger Babe
