"You're possum enough for me."
All spoilers will be unmarked.- There's a flashback where Ellie the mammoth is orphaned in a snowstorm. She's alone and distraught until an opossum with two babies acknowledges her with only the kindest of smiles and decides to raise her as one of the family.
- Tear Jerker Genius Bonus here—in the wild, possums give birth to many, many babies, and the only thing that gets in the way of taking care of more is having only six nipples. For Ellie's possum mom to have only Crash and Eddie when Ellie met them means that there must have been something tragic happen to her litter too.
- After Sid inadvertently helps save the day, the sloths that worshipped him and tried to sacrifice him want him to stay. Diego says that they need him more and says that he is what holds them together. Sid hugs the sabertooth cat with joy with the sloths hugging one another when the others come to see.
- When it looks like Manny will be leaving the herd, Diego still intends to stay with Sid.
- At the end of the film, it turns out that Manny and Ellie aren't actually the last of their kind. When it seems that Ellie's going to leave with the other mammoths, Manny chases after her and (while hanging upside down from a tree branch by his tail like a possum would) confesses that he genuinely loves her and wants to be with her if she feels the same way.
- The other mammoths trumpet in praise as they watch Manny and Ellie embrace.
- After the pair realize Manny is attracted to Ellie, Diego and Sid try to talk him into pursuing it. Diego makes valid points on why she’s alright, and asks what’s holding him back. When Manny bitterly says “my family”, Sid tells him he could have it again. Not usual annoying Sid, either. He has a completely sincere, gentle tone of voice, knowing the enormity of what they’re asking Manny to do, but wanting their friend to move on and be happy nonetheless.
- Sid and Diego encourage Manny to let go of his past and move on with Ellie, even though they might not see him again.
- Even after finding a herd of mammoths, Ellie and Manny decide to remain with Sid and Diego.
- "And then the hungry tiger ate the pesky little kids." While eating kids isn't fun, these kids pushed a really sore button for Manny, and Diego didn't want Manny to feel that way in front of them.
- When Manny learns that Ellie is trapped in a cave, he immediately runs off to save her, even though the dam has burst and the floodwaters are racing there as they speak. What's more, Sid and Diego immediately run off after their friend, giving up their chance for safety on the boat. Sid also tries to rescue Crash and Eddie from the flood since he knows how to swim. And even though he immediately gets himself into trouble, as he knocks himself out on a piece of ice, it was still noble of him to try.
- A small moment when Fast Tony offers to 'help' a female ox named Vera lose "a ton or two." Another ox, presumably her mate, tells her not to listen to him and that she is already as thin as a twig. Although it's a very brief moment, it's very sweet to watch.
- Even though Crash and Eddie are mad at Manny when walking through the mists, they don't seem to hold anything against Diego and Sid, and when Sid walks into something in the mist, one of them warns him (though a little late) that there's a stump in his way.
- In the novelization, a vulture named Gustav was holding most of the animals trying to board the boat hostage presumably so his brethren would have more to eat once the flood killed them all. But when the dam breaks, Manny sees what’s coming and forcibly takes control, announcing the boat is now open to everyone, saving the valley’s animals from drowning.
