Didelphis virginiana
Copyright, Alden M. Johnson, California Academy of Sciences
Virginia Opossums are
medium-sized mammals,
about the size of a large housecat. They have whitish-gray
fur, but sometimes can be blackish-gray. They have furless,
black ears, and a long naked tail. The opposum's tail is
prehensile, which means it can grab onto
branches. The head and throat of
Virginia Opossums are white. They also have short legs, and
female opossums have a pouch. Virginia Opossums live in
thick forests,
open woods, brushy wastelands, marshes,
and farms. They live by themselves, and only get together
during the breeding season. Virginia Opossums are
strictly nocturnal.
This means they only come out at night. Photographer: P. Myers
(http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu) Virginia Opossums can be
agressive animals when threatened. They hiss, screech, and
show their teeth to predators.
They can also squirt a foul-smelling liquid from their rear
ends. As a last resort, they will play dead. They roll over,
shut their eyes, and stick out their tongue. They are
careful not to move until the threat is gone. These animals are very
good climbers. Breeding
season for opossums starts in late winter. Females will have
two or three litters
each year. Each litter has up to 13 young. Baby opossums are born
much more quickly than other mammals. When they are born,
they are about the size of a Honey Bee. Each baby will
carefully crawl up its mother's body to enter her pouch.
Here, it will attach itself to a nipple and feed. Baby
opossums stay in their mother's pouch for two
months. Once they leave the
pouch, they will stay awhile longer, clinging to her back as
she wanders.
Copyright, Mansell
Virginia Opossums build a
leaf nest in a hollow tree, log, rockpile, or abandoned
burrow.
They do not dig their own burrow, but will enter another
animal's, such as that of a skunk or woodchuck. Opossums do
not hibernate. Virginia Opossums eat a
wide varitey of foods, including: fruits, berries, insects,
crayfish, small mammals, bird eggs, young birds, frogs,
earthworms, snakes, lizards, mussels, tadpoles,
rabbits, snails, slugs, and other invertebrates.
They most important food is carrion
(dead animals). Predators of opossums
include hawks, owls, foxes, and humans. Virginia Opossums
communicate with each other with clicking sounds, usually
two males threatening each other or a mother calling to her
young.
Copyright, Alden M. Johnson, California Academy of Sciences
Copyright, Alden M. Johnson, California Academy of Sciences