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Love it. As you know in New Zealand possums are a super-pest, and can get quite aggressive. My uncle used to tell me as a young boy that if you were ever in the bush and a possum attacked you, you should lie on your back and raise your leg in the air. Then, the possum will run up and attack your boot, rather than your head. I have no idea if that is true to this very day.

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That sounds like something an uncle would say to his nephew to see if he'd really do it :-)

However, if it works, seems like it would make it easier to toss the possum into the bush with your foot and run like hell.

Sounds like you may have the cuter version of the possum, but only as far as outward appearances. Ours are ugly, but fairly docile...

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That's really fascinating - what an unusual response to predators, but it must work.

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As my dad pointed out, though, if opossums go into shock to appear dead (and smelly), why did fainting goats evolve to have just a 30 second fainting spell? That doesn't make any sense predator-wise. Unless the purpose is just to freak out the predator?!

I'm wondering if fainting goats may have evolved to have their response after having been domesticated. Perhaps it's not a feature with wild goats...

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I'd never heard of the fainting goat thing. That's fascinating. But I cannot for the life of me imagine how it's an advantage in an animal known for climbing in precipitous locations.

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