Editing Virginia opossum (section)

==Relationship with humans==
[[File:American opossum in baby grand piano.jpg|thumbnail|right|Virginia opossum cornered in a piano in Houston, Texas, shortly before its release]]

Opossums are not considered dangerous to humans.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Are opossums dangerous? They can be, but they're also good for your backyard. |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2022/11/07/are-possums-opossums-dangerous-animals/7941384001/ |access-date=2023-12-25 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref> Though their open-mouth hiss when frightened is often mistaken as rabid behavior, opossums are naturally resistant to [[rabies]] due to their low body temperature. Opossums can however host parasites and carry diseases such as [[tuberculosis]], [[leptospirosis]], and [[tularemia]], among others.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Weinberger |first=Dawn |date=2023-10-19 |title=Are Opossums Dangerous To Humans, Pets And Property? |url=https://www.forbes.com/home-improvement/pest-control/are-opossums-dangerous/ |access-date=2023-12-25 |website=Forbes Home |language=en-US}}</ref> 

Like raccoons, opossums can be found in urban environments, where they eat pet food, rotten fruit, and human garbage. They also are considered a common predator of [[poultry farming]] in North America.<ref name="Ohioline-2018">{{cite web |date=2018-12-20 |title=Predators of Poultry |url=http://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/vme-22 |access-date=2022-04-21 |website=Ohioline [[Ohio State University]]}}</ref><ref name="Extension-predators">{{cite web |title=Predator Management for Small and Backyard Poultry Flocks |url=http://poultry.extension.org/articles/poultry-management/predator-management-for-small-and-backyard-poultry-flocks/ |access-date=2022-04-21 |website=[[Cooperative Extension]] Poultry}}</ref> Research suggests that proximity to humans causes an increase in body size for opossums living in or near urban environments.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Wright|date=2012|title=Influences of an Urban Environment on Home Range and Body Mass of Virginia Opossums (Didelphis virginiana)|journal=Northeastern Naturalist|volume=19|issue=1|pages=77–86|jstor=41429417|doi=10.1656/045.019.0106|s2cid=86663111}}</ref> Though sometimes mistakenly considered to be rats, opossums are not closely related to [[rodent]]s or any other [[placental]] mammals.

The opossum was once a favorite game animal in the [[United States]], particularly in the southern regions which have a large body of recipes and folklore relating to it.<ref>[https://www.espn.com/outdoors/general/columns/story?columnist=sutton_keith&id=3827266  Keith Sutton. Possum days gone by. ESPN Outdoors. January 12, 2009]. Retrieved 2009-12-29.</ref> Their past wide consumption in regions where present is evidenced by recipes available online<ref>[http://www.wildgamerecipes.org/ Wild Game Recipes online]. Retrieved 2009-12-29.</ref> and in books such as older editions of ''[[The Joy of Cooking]]''.<ref>[http://www.ethicurean.com/2006/10/14/joy-of-cooking/ The joy of the ‘Joy of Cooking,’ circa 1962] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061030204530/http://www.ethicurean.com/2006/10/14/joy-of-cooking/ |date=2006-10-30 }}. Retrieved 2009-12-29.</ref> A traditional method of preparation is baking, sometimes in a pie or pastry,<ref>[http://writers-bbs.com/html/FishEggs/3.98/5.html opossum pie] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718121624/http://writers-bbs.com/html/FishEggs/3.98/5.html |date=2011-07-18 }}. Retrieved 2009-12-29.</ref> though at present "possum pie" most often refers to a sweet confection containing no meat of any kind.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Burke |first1=Peter |title=Arkansas dessert with an animal in its name is award-winning treat with 'no possum included' |url=https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/arkansas-dessert-animal-name-award-winning-treat-no-possum-included |website=Fox News |access-date=17 December 2024 |date=5 December 2024}}</ref>

Around the turn of the 20th century, the opossum was the subject of numerous songs, including "Carve dat Possum", a minstrel song written in 1875 by Sam Lucas.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Carve dat possum|url=https://www.loc.gov/item/sm1875.10894/|access-date=2020-11-09|website=Library of Congress}}</ref>

Although it is widely distributed in the United States, the Virginia opossum's appearance in folklore and popularity as a food item has tied it closely to the American [[Southeastern United States|Southeast]]. In animation, it is often used to depict uncivilized characters or "[[hillbilly|hillbillies]]". Not surprisingly, then, the Virginia opossum is featured in several episodes of the hit TV show ''[[The Beverly Hillbillies]]'', such as the "Possum Day" episode in 1965.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0522552/|title=Possum Day|date=October 13, 1965|via=IMDb}}</ref> The title character in [[Walt Kelly]]'s long-running comic strip ''[[Pogo (comics)|Pogo]]'' was an opossum. In an attempt to create another icon like the [[teddy bear]], [[president of the United States|President]] [[William Howard Taft]] was tied to the character Billy Possum.<ref>[http://www.possumnetwork.com/politics.htm Possum Politics] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061216150251/http://www.possumnetwork.com/politics.htm |date=2006-12-16 }}. 'Possum Network.  Last accessed November 19, 2006.</ref><ref>[http://www.cyberbee.com/campaign/postcard.html Political Postcards]. Cyberbee learning.  Last accessed November 19, 2006.</ref> The character did not do well, as public perception of the opossum led to its downfall. In December 2010, a cross-eyed Virginia opossum in Germany's [[Leipzig Zoo]] named [[Heidi (opossum)|Heidi]] became an international celebrity.<ref name="reuters">Kelsey, Eric. (January 11, 2011). "[https://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110111/od_nm/us_germany_opossum_odd Cross-eyed opossum capturing hearts]". Reuters. Retrieved January 12, 2011.</ref> She appeared on a TV talk show to predict the 2011 Oscar winners, similar to the World Cup predictions made previously by [[Paul the Octopus]], also in Germany.<ref>Kelsey, Eric. (28 February 2011). "[https://web.archive.org/web/20120830013146/http://af.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idAFTRE71R32A20110228 German celebrity opossum misses one Oscar pick]". [[Reuters]]. Retrieved 6 March 2011.</ref>

The [[Perelman Building]] in [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]], an annex of the [[Philadelphia Museum of Art]], was formerly the Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance Company Building. Built in the late 1920s its facade is decorated with polychrome sculptures of animals symbolizing various attributes of insurance, including a possum to represent "protection".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Keyes |first1=Norman |title=About the Ruth and Raymond G Perelman Building |url=https://legacyweb.philamuseum.org/doc_downloads/pressroom/perelmanBuilding/pressKits/perelmanBuilding.pdf |website=Philadelphia Museum of Art |access-date=4 May 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020114409/https://legacyweb.philamuseum.org/doc_downloads/pressroom/perelmanBuilding/pressKits/perelmanBuilding.pdf |archive-date=20 October 2022 |pages=2 |url-status=live}}</ref>