According to a Mesoamerican legend, the opossum is considered a clever and generous animal. The story says that when humans had no fire, the opossum decided to help them. To do this, it put its tail in the fire and ran to bring it to the people, but in the process, the fur on its tail completely burned off, leaving it hairless.This legend is a creation myth that explains why opossums have hairless tails while also highlighting their role as helpers of humanity.