Occurred on April 8, 2018 / Tampa, Florida, USA Info from Licensor: "Kricket is a very rare leucistic opossum. She and her 5 siblings were rescued off of their mom who had succumbed to the environmental elements following a series of severe thunderstorms that struck the South Eastern United States in February 2016. Although most of her siblings were able to be re-released back into the wild, Kricket was not, and so she came to live with me serving as an opossum ambassador, helping to educate the public about our nation’s only native marsupial. I am the Medical/Research Director for The Opossum's Pouch non-profit organization. We are devoted to the rescue, rehabilitation, research, and release of opossums both nationally and internationally. Although Kricket and many other domesticated opossums are extremely adorable, we must never forget that they are wild animals and should not be sought out as pets. In fact, most states require special permitting and licensing to own opossums. One might find it hard to believe but they actually have extremely specific and unique dietary and medical needs which is imperative to understand and follow for their survival in captivity. The opossum is extremely misunderstood and underappreciated by mankind, mostly due to lack of knowledge and inaccurate information. In addition to being our nation's only native marsupial, the Virginia opossum or Didelphis Virginiana is crucial to our ecosystem. Did you know that it's nearly impossible for opossums to contract and spread rabies? The opossum's normal body temperature is between 90-95 degrees, unlike that of the cat and dog which ranges from 99-102. Another amazing fact about opossums is that they have a superpower-like immunity against the venom of rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, and other pit vipers. They are a gardener’s dream, as they love to indulge in those pesky critters such as snails, slugs, and beetles. They also eat ticks, and since ticks are the primary vector responsible for transmitting Lyme disease to other mammals including humans, we should be thanking them for another job well done. In short, Opossums are our friends! When you see an opossum crossing the road, give them the right of way or if you see them in your yard, you should welcome them, maybe even give them a little snack and let them go along their way, as they are nomadic creatures and are not 'den' animals. They never stay long in one place.""