“He said, ‘I’m not doing this — there’s an opossum out there,’” recalled Doggett, 55. She thought he was joking, but it turned out the opossum was very real. It also loved chocolate ...

With its rat-like tail and hairless ears, the humble opossum doesn’t get a lot of respect. But North America’s only native marsupial, or pouched animal, plays a valuable role in nature.