Opossum
Opossum Facts
Scientific name: Didelphis virginiana
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Lifespan: 2-4 years in the wild
Mass: 4-6 kg (8-13 lbs)
Length: 60-90 cm (24-36 inches), including the tail
Get to Know the Opossum
Opossums are not real mice. They are nocturnal marsupials inhabiting the Americas continent. They are a unique species of marsupial found in the United States and Canada. This mammal has grey fur, a pointed snout, and a very long prehensile tail without fur. The opossum can adapt to living in forests as well as in cities and suburban areas.
Opossums have 50 teeth or more than any other mammal in the North American region. Their distinctive prehensile tail functions as a fifth leg, assisting with climbing and balance. Another remarkable characteristic is their opposable thumbs, which are positioned on their rear feet and allow them to grasp branches and other items.
The opossums are nocturnal animals and are mostly seen isolated at night searching for their meal. They are generalised feeders, eating almost everything, such as fruits, insects, small mammals, and even carrion. The creature’s diverse feeding habits help to regulate animals like ticks and other insects and that’s why they are important to ecosystems.
Perhaps the most famous example of the defence mechanism of opossums is called “playing dead,” or “playing possums.” In moments of danger, they go into a hypnosis-like state, fur glistening, tongue hanging out, and even release a stench similar to that of a dead animal’s carcass. This behaviour is used to ward off the predator and since the opossum moves very sluggishly the predator will give it a chase and the opossum will make good its escape.
Opossums are equally famous for their ability to withstand snake bites and feed on poisonous snakes without, the slightest harm. Moreover, they cannot be affected by diseases such as rabies (this disease is characteristic of mammals) that exist in the wild now.
Opossum Facts & Tidbits
- Marsupial Feature: Female opossums have a pouch in which the underdeveloped offspring called joeys, stay until they are developed fully after birth. A mother opossum can have up to 13 joeys that she carries in her pouch at any one time.
- Tail Use: What may interest people is that, unlike many reptiles, their prehensile tails can no longer support their entire weight at some time. But they have their tails for stability and to grab objects too.
- Teeth Count: With 50 teeth, opossums have more teeth than any other mammal in North America.
- Tick Consumption: Opossums are believed to kill and eat thousands of ticks a year reducing thereby the spreading of Lyme disease and other diseases carried by ticks.
- Adaptability: Opossums can live in many kinds of environments and adapt extremely well to urban environments. They prefer to eat anything they find either in a garbage bin or in a garden.
Distribution
Opossums live in North and Central America within the latitudes which reach from southern Canada to northern Coosa Rica. These species are most often found in forests but, as the most diverse group of animals in the world, they are capable of living in urban and suburban areas.
Because of their versatility, they have been able to move further northwards due to climate changes within the last several years. Opossums in turn occupy the regions within the climatic areas that are cold and often use attics, garages or under decks for shelter during extreme freezing.
Where You Can Spot Opossums
Opossums primarily inhabit in Eastern United States, Central America, Southern Canada, and Parts of the West Coast. Recently expanded their range due to climate change and adaptability.
They are most active at night and are often seen near human settlements, garbage areas, and places with abundant food sources.
Status of the Opossum
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Opossums in particular are one of the most successful and versatile animals on this planet. Their population is steady and is rather growing in many districts. Opossums have several advantages that contribute to their survival, including a high reproduction rate, the ability to live in diverse habitats, an omnivorous diet, resistance to many diseases, and low predation due to their effective defence mechanisms like playing death and their unique physiological adaptations.
Unlike many wildlife species, opossums have had their populations boosted by human development. Most of them inhabit gardens, cities, and suburban areas, and can rapidly colonise habitats altered by humans. They are important members of ecosystems for their tendency to eat pests and carrion but are commonly underestimated for their ecological importance.
Although they are threatened by vehicle accidents and race occasionally due to misunderstandings, opossums are still a useful species of the American continent.