I had this exact conversation with an Australian friend. She was startled and said that oh, she must have just heard a possum outside her window.

Me: “OH GOD CLOSE YOUR WINDOW RIGHT NOW D:”

After an amusingly long circular conversation where she thought I was irrationally scared of the adorable little animal on the left, we figured out that we were discussing two very different animals. She sent me a picture, I awwed. Then I sent her a picture.

"WHAT IS THAT THING?!"

The last time I saw one that wasn’t roadkill, it was hissing at me from the shadows of a dark driveway I was walking past and I just bolted for a good hundred feet or so out of reflex.

This may be the only time the US wins in a head to head competition for scarier animals with Australia.

the one marsupial we do have, and it’s this fucking thing

There was a mix up and we got Australia’s Possum.