| Raccoon | Opossum |
|---|---|
|
|
| Wins 97.60% of 1k fights | Wins 2.40% of 1k fights |
It's the battle of the two animals my wife hates the most, the stealthy Raccoon and America's only marsupial, the Opossum. Have you ever wondered who would win if these two nighttime warriors crossed paths? Let's find out in this week's edition of Fantasy Brawls.
First, we'll dive into which of these animals possesses the most strength, which will be vital in deciding the outcome of this fight.
Opossums are strong climbers and possess enough power to haul their kids throughout the trees and streets with relative ease. Their strength, however, pales in comparison to that of the Raccoon, whose muscular, highly dexterous forelimbs enable it to knock over heavy trash cans and fend off would-be predators.
Raccoons are stronger than most humans, pound for pound, as studies suggest that they can lift objects that are 2 to 3 times heavier than them. This means a 20-pound Raccoon can potentially drag a 60-pound kid across the forest floor. By comparison, your average untrained adult human can only lift 1x or less than their body weight.
The power advantage is going to our masked combatant, but don't count the Opossum out yet. Let's see who of the two is faster and more agile below.
Opossums, despite their bulky appearance, can actually move pretty fast. They can reach speeds of 7 mph. This doesn't sound fast, but considering the average jogger in America moves at around the same speed, it's kinda impressive. However, Opossums cannot sustain this for long, and their awkward, lumbering movements indicate their lack of agility.
As you might've guessed, Raccoons are a different story entirely. They can reach top speeds that rival the most fit, non-Olympic athletes at around 15 mph. In addition to this, they are highly agile due to their strong limbs and dexterity. I can personally attest to this as I've seen a Raccoon weave through traffic on a busy street without getting smashed by incoming cars.
So, the winner in the speed and agility department goes to the Raccoon. With both speed and power going to the Raccoon, it may seem that defeat is all but certain for the Opossum. But, as we've seen in other Fantasy Brawls, the aggression factor can overcome physical disadvantages.
When threatened, Opossums bear their terrifying teeth and hiss menacingly... but this is all a bluff. If the threat doesn't back down, the animal either flees or 'plays possum,' which essentially means it lays on the ground and pretends to be dead.
Raccoons, as my kids would say, want all the smoke. If they give you a warning like a hiss or they do that horrifying back arch, just get out of their way. If that wasn't scary enough, these little devils account for 28% of all reported cases of rabies in the United States. Here are a couple of signs of rabies in Raccoons. Remember, try to give all of them space, but get in your car and drive away if you see any with the below traits.
Foaming mouth - Frothy, gross saliva similar to toothpaste accumulates around the mouth of the doomed animal.
Patchy, rough-looking fur - This generally happens due to the animal clawing at itself and lack of grooming due to coordination loss caused by the rabies.
Strange movements similar to paralysis - Raccoons are generally somewhat graceful in their gaits. When they are infected with rabies, they stumble like a drunk guy at a bar.
Even without rabies, Raccoons are more likely to attack humans and other animals when threatened, which gives them the advantage in the aggression department. Is there any hope for the Opossum? Let's find out in the battle!
This battle takes place very close to home for me because it goes down in my backyard. I frequently see Opossums and Raccoons on my security cameras, so I figured it's the best place for a confrontation. The conflict begins when the marsupial dives into one of my trash bins looking for a quick meal.
A wandering Raccoon has the same idea and makes a play for the same garbage. The Opossum hisses at the Raccoon and bares its menacing teeth. The Raccoon calls its bluff and swipes at it viciously. The Opossum recoils and attempts to play dead.
This startles the Raccoon, but it's not enough for it to grant the Opossum mercy. The scratches and bites continue to fly in as the bloodied and battered Opossum scurries away to my neighbor's yard, leaving the Raccoon to gorge on all the half-eaten pizza my kids wasted.
The Raccoon took home the win in this battle, but at least no one was killed. This was largely due to the Raccoon simply trying to clear an obstacle to its meal in dramatic fashion. It wasn't a predation attempt, as Raccoons aren't known to eat Opossums.
Though the Opossum lost the battle, it has another appearance in the Fantasy Brawls battle arena. Head over to the Cat vs Opossum battle to see how America's only marsupial fares there.
Posted by: Matt Irving on 12/01/2024
