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Opossums ( / əˈpɒsəm /) are members of the marsupial order Didelphimorphia ( / daɪˌdɛlfɪˈmɔːrfiə /) endemic to the Americas. The largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, it comprises 126 species in 18 genera.
- They're Not Aggressive. Even when confronted with a predator, they will use the infamous "playing possum" technique to appear dead and avoid an actual brawl.
- They Rarely Have Rabies. Unlike most other wild animals, possums are nearly completely immune to contracting rabies or passing it along. According to Dr. Karen Becker, this is due to their natural body temperature being too low to maintain hosting the virus.
- They Kill Thousands Of Ticks. According to stats reported by the National Wildlife Federation, a single possum can potentially eliminate 4,000 ticks in one week thanks to their extreme self-grooming methods (either crushing or consuming the ticks burrowing in their fur).
- They Won't Destroy Your Lawn Or Property. Unlike other nocturnal animals creeping around neighborhoods, possums won't destroy your lawn or property, and they don't spray like skunks.
- Description of The Opossum
- Interesting Facts About The Opossum
- Habitat of The Opossum
- Distribution of The Opossum
- Diet of The Opossum
- Opossum and Human Interaction
- Opossum Care
- Behavior of The Opossum
- Reproduction of The Opossum
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Most opossums are around the size of a housecat. These marsupialshave an elongated snout, and a large sagittal crest – a bone making their forehead look taller. They have scaly feet, and a scaly prehensile tail. A prehensile tail can be wrapped around branches to stabilize the animal while climbing.
Opossums, the only naturally occurring marsupial in North America, are incredibly interesting creatures. They have a number of distinguishing characteristics that are typically unknown to the general population. These scary-looking creatures are unfortunately misunderstood. Let’s learn a little more about them and find out why. 1. Rabies and Opossu...
Opossums prefer woody habitats, particularly deciduous forests that seasonally shed their leaves. They are also commonly found close to a water source, such as a stream or lake. Opossums are, however, highly adaptable. They have become quite adept at surviving in urban areas.
There are over 100 species of opossum, but only one species lives north of Mexico, the Virginia opossum. The Virginia opossum can be found from Central America all the way to Canada. Other opossum species can be found from Mexico to the tip of South America.
Opossums are opportunistic feeders, which means that they feed on a wide variety of items to survive. They eat carrion, small animals, insects, reptiles, eggs, plants, and garbage.
The poor opossum is generally viewed as an ugly pest of an animal. Though they will occasionally make their homes in our attics and crawl spaces, and feed from our garbage cans, opossums are only doing what they need to do to survive. They are frequently struck by cars searching for carrion and garbage on roadsides, and can be killed by domestic do...
Opossums require a varied diet and enrichment to be happy and healthy. Diets should reflect their natural prey as close as possible. They should also be provided with foraging opportunities and other environmental enrichment “toys” to keep them stimulated.
Opossums are mainly solitary, but will share a living space with other animals. They will remain in a location as long as food and water are readily available, and will move on when resources run out. This behavior is called nomadicliving. Opossums are nocturnal, and emerge from their dens to forage for food at night.
Opossums are marsupials, who carry their young in a pouch. They will give birth after a 12-14 day gestation period, and the young will emerge from the pouch 70-125 days later.
Learn about the opossum, a marsupial native to North and South America, and not the same as the Australian possum. Find out about its features, behavior, diet, reproduction, and human interaction.
- Michele Debczak
- Opossums and possums aren’t the same animal. In North America, opossum and possum describe the same animal, but in Australia the word possum refers to a completely different order of organisms.
- They’re the only marsupials found north of Mexico. Marsupials—mammals that carry and nurse their young in pouches—are absent from much of the world, and in Canada and the United States, the Virginia opossum (Didelphia virginiana) is the sole representative of the group.
- They can’t choose when they “play dead.” Perhaps the most famous characteristic of the opossum is its tendency to play dead in front of predators. When the animal experiences intense fear in the face of danger, it seizes up and flops to the ground where it can remain for hours staring blankly ahead and sticking out its tongue.
- An offensive odor helps sell the performance even more. A picture of a possum playing dead doesn’t really do it justice. To get the full experience, you need to be standing over to it to smell the putrid odor it emits when pretending to be a corpse.
Learn about possums, a group of 70 tree-living marsupial species native to Australia and nearby islands. Find out how they differ from opossums, what they eat, how they mate, and which ones are endangered.
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Opossums are the only marsupials in North America, with dozens of species and a distinctive play-dead defense. Learn about their diet, reproduction, scavenging, and tree-climbing skills.
Learn about two species of opossums: the Virginia opossum and the water opossum. Find out their characteristics, habitats, diets, behaviours, reproduction and conservation status.
