Future of the Water Opossum

The water opossum is a freshwater, semi-aquatic marsupial, native to the rainforests of Central and South America. They have water-proof fur, webbed feet, a flexible spine, and a long tail, making them very good swimmers. They use their whiskers to sense objects in the water and use their hands to capture prey. They are primarily nocturnal and eat fish, insects, aquatic crustaceans, and occasionally aquatic plants. NASA predicts that sea levels could rise as much as 16 feet by 2300, meaning much of the water opossum's range could become ocean. I predict that the water opossum will evolve into the bristled ocean opossum in about 900,000 years. The features that made the water opossum such a good swimmer will become exaggerated. My new creature will eat mostly fish and seaweed, become diurnal to avoid sharks, become sandy-colored to blend in with the seafloor, and develop sharp bristles to deter predators.