Opossum

Today Ivor is a Virginia Opossum. You can tell because today he's lying in the middle of the hallway, risking being run over by people walking back and forth! Instead of getting out of the way of foot traffic, Ivor, like many opossums, "plays dead" by lying down, hoping that the source danger will leave him alone. Sadly, this strategy does not work too well, and Ivor risks being kicked accidentally today.

The Virginia Opossum is the only marsupial in North America. They are adaptable and live in all sorts of habitats, including urban areas, and are remarkably resistant to rabies. That's a good thing, since Ivor lives in the city and we don't want him getting sick (he's been vaccinated, of course, but natural resistance always helps). Although they look like rats, they're more closely related to other marsupials - including kangaroos and wombats - than to rodents. Sadly, opossums aren't very long-lived, so overall it's a good thing that he is turning into something else tomorrow.