Marsupial that goes into shock when frightened (7)

I believe the answer is:

opossum

(Other definitions for opossum that I've seen before include "American and Australian marsupial, often with the first letter dropped" , "American and Australian marsupial, often abbreviated" , "Thickly furred marsupial" , "Thick-furred marsupial of the Americas" , "American tree-dweller" .)

I've seen this clue in The New York Times.

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