[Animals] This is the opossum, the marsupial that faced the underworld to bring fire to humanity

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Neither a rodent, nor a plague, nor a carrier of rabies: the opossum is a harmless animal whose main threat is ignorance of its nature
An old pre-Hispanic legend tells that the animals of the Earth met one day to talk about the condition in which human beings lived. All those present were aware of the hardships that women and men were going through due to the lack of a fundamental element: fire. Given these circumstances, the opossum promised to bring him from the underworld.

At first, the other animals did not believe in the ability of the little marsupial to achieve its goal. However, he said that he would make it, but he needed that, once the fire arrived, the others would make sure that it did not go out. The deer, incredulous at the opossum's words, accepted the challenge.

Thus, the brave animal undertook its journey to the underworld, guarded by ferocious predators. Initially, the opossum had to get used to spending time there, as he needed to gain confidence. After the days, he decided that the time had come to take what he was going for.

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The first thing the opossum did was hold the precious item with its tail. However, she suffered burns that left her hairless. His other resource was to swallow an ember. So, he did, fleeing in a hurry from the jaguars that were after him. Despite the immense pain, the opossum managed to escape and, with it, bring the fire to the humans.

The marsupial of Mexico
The name by which this Mexican marsupial is po[CENSORED]rly known comes from the Nahuatl, “tlacuatzin” (the little one who eats fire). "Mount fox" or "opossum" are other ways of calling it. In general, when talking about the opossum, reference is made to Didelphis virginiana (in the south) and Didelphis marsupialis (in the north), however, in Mexico, there are six other species of the Didelphidae family:

Chironectes minimus
philander opossum
Caluromys derbianus
Metachirus nudicaudatus
mexican marmosa
Tlacuatzin canescens
The physical constitution of the opossum is robust. His face is long and conical. Their ears are hairless. The tail, under the same conditions, is used to hang from the trees. The weight and size is highly variable, since these depend on the species. An example of the above is the Mexican Marmosa of 15 centimeters, on average, or the Didelphis marsupialis of 45 (1 to 3 kilograms in the adult stage), approximately.

The opossum is from temperate to tropical climates, so it is easy to find it in various parts of Mexico. It is a nocturnal animal that builds burrows. During its waking days, it is capable of traveling up to 2 kilometers in search of food. In this sense, it is an omnivorous organism, since it mainly consumes seeds, plants, fruits, insects and meat rich in phosphorus (such as birds and small reptiles). At the same time, its main predators are dogs, cats, birds of prey and humans.

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Up to 13 pups can be born from the same litter. The gestation period is incomplete and lasts 12 to 13 days. Being a marsupial, the opossum finishes incubating in the marsupium (an external bag of skin and soft hair in the mother's womb), because when it is given birth it still needs to develop. For two months, it lies there, then hangs on the mother's back. The breeding season is in spring and summer (between the months of February and May).

Tlacuache: beyond the legend
Among the opossum's defense mechanisms is thanatosis, a behavior by which it presents characteristics of death. During this time, the marsupial emits an unpleasant odor that helps confuse predators about its status.

These animals cannot harbor or transmit rabies, thanks to the slow rhythm of their nervous systems. In addition, they are resistant to some poisons, such as those of rattlesnakes and coral snakes.

Due to the multiple agricultural activities of the human being, the opossum has had to move beyond its habitat. The current situation means that this animal has learned to live in urban spaces.

OPOMS ARE ESSENTIAL ORGANISMS IN ECOSYSTEMS, BECAUSE THEY REGULATE THE PO[CENSORED]TION GROWTH OF PESTS AND POISONOUS ANIMALS THAT HARMFUL TO HUMANS. IN TURN, THEY ARE IMPORTANT SEED DISPERSERS AND ESSENTIAL PARTNERS IN CROPS SUCH AS COFFEE AND CACAO. THEIR CONSERVATION IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE, SO THE DISSEMINATION OF THESE SPECIES IS BECOMING PO[CENSORED]R, MENTIONS LA BIOL. ESMERALDA SANDOVAL BENÍTEZ, BOTANICAL ECOLOGIST AND RESCUER OF THE NATIONAL AUTONOMOUS UNIVERSITY OF MEXICO (UNAM).

https://www.ngenespanol.com/animales/tlacuache-asi-es-el-marsupial-que-enfrento-al-inframundo/