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What's the difference between a possum and an oppossum?

A possum is any of about 63 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupial species native to Australia. The name derives from their resemblance to the opossums of the Americas and, unlike most names applied to Australian fauna in the early years of European colonisation, happens to be accurate: the opossums of America are distant relatives. (The name is from Algonquian wapathemwa, not Greek or Latin, so the plural is possums, not possa.) Possum is also used in North America as a diminutive for the Virginia Opossum.

Possums are small marsupials with brown or grey fur, ranging in size from the length of a finger (pygmy possums and wrist-winged gliders), to the length of a forearm (brushtails and ringtails). All possums are nocturnal and omnivorous, hiding in a nest in a hollow tree during the day and coming out during the night to forage for food. They fill much the same role in the Australian ecosystem that squirrels fill in the northern hemisphere and are broadly similar in appearance.

The two most common species of possums, the Common Brushtail and Common Ringtail, are also among the largest.
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The order Didelphimorphia contains the common opossums of the western hemisphere. Opossums probably diverged from the basic South American marsupials in the late Cretaceous or early Paleocene. A sister group is the Paucituberculata, or shrew opossums.

Didelphimorphs are small to medium-sized marsupials, about the size of a large house cat. They tend to be semi-arboreal omnivores, although there are many exceptions. Most members of this taxon have long snouts, a narrow braincase, and a prominent sagittal crest. The dental formula (one side of one jaw) includes 5 incisors (four on the lower jaw), 1 canine, 3 premolars and 4 tricuspid molars. By mammal standards, this is a very full jaw. The incisors are very small, the canines large.

Didelphimorphs have a plantigrade stance (feet flat on the ground) and the hind feet have an opposable digit with no claw. Like some primates, opossums have prehensile tails. The stomach is simple, with a small cecum. Opossum reproductive systems are extremely basic, with a reduced marsupium. This means that the young are born at a very early stage. The species is moderately sexually dimorphic with males usually being somewhat larger than females.

Didelphimorphs are opportunistic omnivores with a very broad range of diet. Their unspecialized biology, flexible diet and reproductive strategy make them successful colonizers and survivors in unsettled times. Originally native to the Eastern United States, opossums were intentionally introduced into the West during the Great Depression, probably as a source of food. Their range has been expanding steadily northwards, thanks in part to more plentiful, manmade sources of fresh water, and milder winters. Since 1990, their range has extended into Ontario, Canada, and they have been found as far north as Toronto.

Opossums are usually nomadic, staying in one area as long as food and water are easily available. Though they will temporarily occupy abandoned burrows, they do not dig or put much effort into building their own. They favor dark, secure areas, below ground or above.

When threatened or harmed, they will "play possum", mimicking the appearance and smell of a sick or dead animal. The lips are drawn back, teeth are bared, saliva foams around the mouth, and a foul-smelling fluid is secreted from the anal glands. The physiological response is involuntary, rather than a conscious act. Their stiff, curled form can be prodded, turned over, and even carried away. Many injured opossums have been killed by well-meaning people who find a catatonic animal and assume the worst. If you find an injured or apparently dead opossum, the best thing to do is leave it in a quiet place with a clear exit path. In minutes or hours, the animal will regain consciousness and escape quietly on its own.

Adult oppossums do not hang from trees by their tails, though babies may dangle temporarily. Their prehensile tails are not strong enough to support a mature adult's weight, though they often serve as a brace and a fifth limb when climbing. There are also confirmed accounts of the tail being used as a grip to carry bunches of leaves or bedding materials to the nest
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The arrival of Dawn Summers is a metaphor for adopted children. It was foreshadowed in cryptic dream sequences in seasons three and four. Faith said to Buffy in Graduation Day, "Look at you, all dressed up in big sister’s clothes." In This Year's Girl the following season, a still comatose Faith said while making a bed with Buffy in Dawn's future room, "Little sis coming. I know." Buffy replied, "So much to do before she gets here." In the season finale Restless, Tara warned Buffy to "be back before Dawn."

In 2000, a Czech Republic-based brethren known as the Monks of Dagon came into possession of The Key, a mystical ball of energy that can open a portal to all dimensions. Once opened, it would create chaos on Earth as hell dimensions flood into this world until the energy is used up and the portal closed. The monks wanted to put this dangerous power to good use, but forces of darkness tracked them down. In an act of desperation, three surviving monks used powerful magics and used part of Buffy to forge it into human form - a fourteen-year-old girl - and sent it to the Slayer as a sister to protect it from the unstable Glorificus. Also known as Glory, the hell-god was bent on returning to a hell dimension from which she had been exiled for being too vicious!

Michelle Trachtenberg debuted as a guest in Buffy vs. Dracula, the season five opener. She became a series regular in the last three seasons, appearing in all 66 episodes. Her character, Dawn Summers, was supposedly born to Hank and Joyce Summers in 1987 in Los Angeles. Dawn's immediate family were unaware of her mystical origin for a while as they had been imbued with artificial memories of her as Buffy's younger sister. Only those "outside reality," such as mental patients, see Dawn's true nature.

Her brain tumor let Joyce see that Dawn was different, and Dawn struggled to accept her existence and others' love upon learning the truth. After the shocking death of Buffy, she struggled with severe kleptomania, overcoming her problems with the help of Rupert Giles and friends. By becoming more involved with Buffy's slaying, Dawn grew less dependent on those around her. She began to take an active role in helping the Scooby Gang battle its foes.

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Powers and abilities
Dawn is a human being who the mentally unstable can see is really a green ball of energy. With the right ritual, Dawn's blood opens a dimensional portal to all universes, bringing chaos and destruction to Earth within minutes. Dawn's experience in battling vampires and demons has made her a more capable fighter and spellcaster with the ability to cast spells from memory. Dawn has grown to rarely flinch when in danger, and her loyalty to her sister and friends is absolute.

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Romantic relationships
Xander Harris: Dawn haboured a crush on Xander into her adolescence. She felt he was the only one who treated her like an adult.
Spike: Feeling alone after her origin was discovered, Dawn developed a crush on Spike. She thought only he treated her like a real human being.
Kevin: Dawn adored the shy boy in her previous school's art class.
Justin: A manipulative, teenage vampire who Dawn, unaware of his identity, shared her first kiss with. When he tried to turn her, Dawn had to stake him.
R.J. Brooks: Dawn developed an obsessive, mystical crush on the popular high school athlete due to his bewitched letterman jacket.
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Born in New York City to Russian-Jewish immigrants, and raised in Sheepshead Bay, she had her first television appearance in 1988 in a commercial for Wisk Detergent. She went on to feature in over 100 more commercials.
 
GOOD STUFF GOLD FIVE I MEAN GAGH THAT REVEALS MANY TRUTHS LIKE WHY TRACHTENBERG WAS SEXY AND WHY I WANTED TO SEX HER
 
http://www.trollkingdom.net/forum/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=667978

possum
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opossum
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Other languages
(See episode entries for details on translation)

Croatian: Buffy, ubojica vampira ("Buffy, killer of vampires"); "Slayer" is ubojica vampira ("killer of vampires"), "Watcher" is Čuvar ("guardian, keeper").
Czech: Buffy: Přemožitelka upírů (Přemožitelka means Defeater)
Esperanto: Buffy, La Ĉasistino de Vampiroj ("Buffy, the vampire hunter"); "Slayer" is Ĉasistino ("huntress"), and "Watcher" is Observisto ("Observer").
Estonian: Vampiiritapja Buffy (as "Vampirekiller Buffy").
Finnish: Buffy, vampyyrintappaja ("Buffy, killer of vampires"); "Slayer" is Tappaja ("Killer"), and "Watcher" is Valvoja ("Watcher", "Overseer").
French: Buffy Contre les Vampires ("Buffy versus the vampires"); "slayer" is la Tueuse ("the Killer"), and "Watcher" is l'Observateur ("the Watcher")
German: Buffy - Im Bann der Dämonen (Meaning somewhere between "Buffy - in the thrall of demons", and "Buffy - in the shadow of demons"); "Slayer" is translated as die Jägerin ("Huntress"), "Watcher" as der Wächter ("Watchman"/"Warden").
Hebrew: באפי ציידת הערפדים (Buffy Tzayedet Ha'Arpadim), lit. "Buffy the Hunter of Vampires"); "Slayer" is קוטלת (kotelet, "slayer"), and "Watcher" is צופה (tzofeh, "watcher").
Hungarian: Buffy a vámpírok réme (Roughly, "Buffy: The bogey of the Vampires"); slayer is Vadász ("Hunter") and "Watcher" is Őrző (Keeper, Watcher)
Icelandic: Vampírubaninn Buffy (Roughly, "The Vampireslayer Buffy"); "Slayer" is translated as bani ("killer").
Italian: Buffy l'ammazza vampiri ("Buffy The Vampires Killer"); "Slayer" is Cacciatrice ("huntress"), and "Watcher" is Osservatore ("Watchman").
Japanese: 吸血キラー 聖少女バフィー (Kyūketsu Kirā Seishōjo Bafī), literal meaning "The Vampire Killer(:) Holy Girl Buffy". 吸血鬼 (Kyūketsuki) means "vampire", and "kirā" comes from the English word "killer". The phrase 吸血キラー is sort of a pun on the ki in kyūketsuki.
Norwegian: Buffy - Vampyrenes skrekk ("Buffy - Horror of the vampires"); skrekk is "horror". "Slayer" is mainly translated to jeger ("hunter"), but sometimes to morder ("murderer") or slakter ("slaughterer"). "Watcher" is vokter ("guardian"). Eventually, the show was just called Buffy.
Polish: Buffy postrach wampirów ("Buffy horror of the vampires"; "Watcher" is obserwator ("watcher").
Portuguese: in Brazil, Buffy, a Caça-Vampiros ("Buffy the Vampire-huntress"); "Slayer" is a Caçadora ("the Huntress"), and "Watcher" is o Vigia ("the Watchman"); in Portugal, Buffy, a Caçadora de Vampiros ("Buffy the Vampire Huntress)"; "Slayer" is a Caçadora ("the Huntress"), and "Watcher" is o Observador ("the Observer", "the Watcher").
Spanish: Buffy, Cazavampiros ("Buffy, vampire hunter"); "Slayer" is Cazadora ("huntress"), and "Watcher" is Vigilante ("Watchman").
Swedish: Buffy & vampyrerna ("Buffy & The Vampires"); "Slayer" is Dräpare ("Slayer"), and "Watcher" is Väktare ("Guard").
 
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