this post was submitted on 21 Mar 2026
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Opossums

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[–] ickplant@lemmy.world 58 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Just FYI, I got a lot of flak for mentioning this fact in opossum communities on social media sites. No one wants to believe that they aren’t these amazing tick-eating heroes.

I say they are still heroes and prevent a lot of disease and nastiness! They just don’t eat ticks.

[–] I_Fart_Glitter@lemmy.world 27 points 1 day ago (3 children)

If you’re on the US west coast, Western Fence Lizards are your Lyme disease fighting heroes.

https://daily.jstor.org/theres-something-about-lizard-blood/

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (2 children)

so about lizard blood. do i have to eat the lizard blood or get the lizard blood on me to become immune to limeys

[–] caseyweederman@lemmy.ca 2 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Oh, no, that part actually means you need to have lizard ancestry. A common misconception.

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 1 points 11 hours ago

fuck. i merely tried injecting ground lizard tail. i, uh, had an interesting few hours.

[–] I_Fart_Glitter@lemmy.world 4 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Oh no… it’s been 12 hrs…

You alright?

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 1 points 16 hours ago

You alright?

i mean this is me we're talking about.

[–] mystrawberrymind@piefed.ca 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

This is so amazing, my mind is blown!! Gonna share this with everybody. Also that lizard pic as if it’s laughing is perfect😁

[–] I_Fart_Glitter@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago (1 children)

My best fence lizard pic. They’re friends!

[–] mystrawberrymind@piefed.ca 5 points 1 day ago

Too cute! :)

[–] humble_boatsman@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

The very end of this article states possums are immune to Lyme disease and will pop them like m&ms when attacked... Are possums not the same as opossums?

[–] LilDumpy@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

There are more social media opossum communities than this one?

Where? I must know.

[–] ickplant@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago

You’ll be disappointed because it’s Facebook groups and Instagram accounts. And they are starting to be overrun with AI images. So I focus on wildlife rescue accounts more since they will just post pics of animals in their care.

[–] thisbenzingring@lemmy.today 5 points 1 day ago (3 children)

they don't really live in the same environments, so concluding the the opossums ate them all was lazy

[–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Uh yeah they absolutely live in some of the same environments, what are you talking about? They both live in the Midwest US for sure.

[–] thisbenzingring@lemmy.today -2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

well it's definitely situational because in Washington State they don't

[–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Having done very minimal research, yes they do. Just because you don't see them hanging out doesn't mean they're not there. Here's the opossum's range, at least three of these ticks live in the same region.

[–] I_Fart_Glitter@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

I read the study a long time ago, it was to do with tick covered opossums. Also, I’ve got both in my yard.

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 1 points 1 day ago

they don't. we have forest preserves with deer and deer ticks and possums. I mean I would call that the same environment. coyotes and racoons and such to.

Learned this a few years ago and caught shit for trying to spread the truth too. People before a happy lie it seems.

[–] deceiver@infosec.pub 25 points 1 day ago

She found worms, a French fry, broken glass, and a mostly undigested shrew

really does paint a vivid picture of the opossum’s whole vibe - just an absolute gremlin waddling through life eating whatever, completely unbothered

[–] sad_detective_man@sopuli.xyz 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Wait really? Because I just recently made a joke which would look really stupid in retrospect

[–] Jimbabwe@lemmy.world 21 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Hey everybody!! sad_detective_man made a joke based on debunked scientific data!! What an absolute BUFFOON

Let’s all agree right here and now to never let this guy live it down. He is irrevocably besmirched. Way to throw your life away, kid.

[–] sad_detective_man@sopuli.xyz 25 points 1 day ago

My death by firing squad approaches

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Tagging them now as "Doesn't know shit about Opossums"

[–] teyrnon@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago

Boo, fuck off to this source. There are always possum haters that want to kill them all that deny they eat ticks and kill their stupid chickens.

[–] candyman337@piefed.ca 1 points 1 day ago

They forgot to account for oppssoum ticks georg

[–] DudeImMacGyver@kbin.earth 6 points 1 day ago

Up is down, down is up! Everything I was told is a lie!

That's the most horrified opossum expression I've ever seen!

[–] FartsWithAnAccent@fedia.io 5 points 1 day ago

Kind of a bummer, but they still eat rotting dead stuff, so that' still a net benefit.

Glad somebody is out there checking on this stuff. Lazy science really ticks me off.

[–] determinist@kbin.earth 4 points 1 day ago (3 children)

sp who DOES eat the ticks??

[–] MrVilliam@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Some weird guy who lives in the woods. He responds to Nathan. NEVER call him Nate.

[–] kmartburrito@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)
[–] DudeImMacGyver@kbin.earth 2 points 1 day ago

Classic Old Gregg.

[–] Drusas@fedia.io 3 points 1 day ago

those people really tick off

[–] Aeri@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The pro possum propaganda is acceptable as it increases their PR.

[–] ace_of_based@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago

Possum PR predicated on prevarication? preposterous!

[–] galoisghost@aussie.zone 3 points 1 day ago

You can’t just ask them to their faces. Of course they’re going to deny it.