Here are five things you may not know about opossums, and a few things you really should know. It is a common mistake. The possum is actually a tree-climbing marsupial that lives in Australia, and a distant cousin to the North American, opossum. Like its cousin the possum, the opossum is a marsupial, which is to say that it is an animal that has a pouch. It uses this pouch to carry its young around. Other marsupials you may be familiar with are koalas and kangaroos. These digits, called halux, help the opossums climb trees with ease.
They have this anatomical feature in common with monkeys and other primates. These critters have such a good immune system, they are hardly ever found with the rabies virus, and they are not considered reservoirs for Lyme disease. While these furry creatures can be quite interesting, they can also create many problems when they come onto our property. One of the most prominent problems they cause is lawn damage.
Opossums are fond of grubs. Opossums nest in tree holes or in dens made by other animals. These animals are widespread and are sometimes hunted as food, particularly in the southern United States.
All rights reserved. A Virginia opossum Didelphis virginiana with babies photographed in Lincoln, Nebraska. Common Name: Opossums. Scientific Name: Didelphidae. Type: Mammals.
Diet: Omnivore. Group Name: Passel. Size: Length from nose to tail: 2. Weight: 8. Size relative to a 6-ft man:. Share Tweet Email. After birth, the young of opossums live in the pouch for about two months and production of several litters occurs between January and July. Other marsupials include koalas, kangaroos and wombats. Out of all the marsupials, opossums are the only ones to reside in North America north of Mexico.
The others are most often found in Australia and South America. Opossums are not rodents. Rodents are distinguished by the pair of incisors in their top and bottom jaw.
Opossums lack this feature and instead have 50 teeth between their two jaws. Although marsupials are primarily found in Australia, they did not originate there. Rather, by examining marsupial genes and studying their history, researchers discovered that opossums may have originated from South America.
But, how would they have migrated to other continents? This dates back billions of years when South America, Antarctica, Australia, and other areas were part of one larger landmass. Over time, this mass broke off to form some of the separate continents with which we are familiar today, thus, geographically distributing marsupials, such as opossums.
When confronted by danger, it can either make a run for it, climb a nearby tree, stay and fight which it rarely does , or feign death. In this case the opossum sinks to the ground while its eyes glaze over, bares its teeth, and lolls its tongue to the side, successfully simulating death. No amount of prodding, poking, or shaking will revive the animal from its catatonic state. Apparently the animal is incapable of any feeling, and does not flinch. Opossums create such a convincing portrayal of death, including a putrid odor, that dogs and other predators will abandon them for livelier prey, as most predators will not eat carrion.
Some time later, the survivor regains consciousness and continues slowly on its way. Enemies of the opossum are dogs, coyotes, bobcats, and raptors.
The two enemies from which the deathlike trance will not save the opossum from are man and the automobile. Opossums do not harbor diseases normally found in dogs and cats, such as distemper, parvovirus, or feline hepatitis. All warm-blooded mammals can contract rabies, but opossums are rarely found to be rabid. Scientists believe that a body temperature too low to support the rabies virus is the reason.
According to Dr. How to Coexist with Our Marvelous Marsupial Often mother opossums waddle along with little furry babies attached to them. Frequently sightings involve opossums along the roads that have been hit by cars. Concerned citizens are urged to check the dead opossum.
If female, there may still be living babies inside the pouch. Many baby opossums have been saved by those attentive citizens who have transported the dead mother — with her living babies still attached — to the nearest wildlife rehabilitator. Opossums rarely cause problems for humans, but often frighten people by their rat-like appearance.
Opossums are excellent at rodent and insect control, and being carrion eaters, they help keep roadways and neighborhoods clean. Opossums are more beneficial as scavengers, than harmful for any damage they may cause.
A neighborhood with opossums tends to be considerably cleaner than a neighborhood without them. First Name.
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