Virginia Opossum

Opossum in the Big Thicket

NPS Photo

Didelphis Virginiana

These little marsupials are most commonly known for their ability to “play dead” and for their prehensile tails (used for hanging from tree branches)! Opossums—commonly referred to as just possums—are found throughout the eastern United States as well as parts of the West Coast. Like all marsupials, they give birth to underdeveloped young which they carry in a pouch on their stomachs (like kangaroos!). They are the only marsupial found north of Mexico. Opossums actually have no control over when they play dead, when they are under stress their body automatically seizes up to resemble a corpse and excretes a foul odor to deter predators. They are very omnivorous animals eating everything from plants, to small animals to garbage!

The Virginia opossum is not threatened or endangered, and like many omnivorous mammals coexists relatively well with people aside from run-ins with vehicles. Opossums can be eaten by owls, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, and of course, people! Opossums are about the size of a house cat and live 2-4 years.

Did You Know?

• Opossums' body temperatures run lower than most mammals, which actually makes them bad hosts for rabies! While there have been cases of opossums getting rabies, it is relatively uncommon.
• A single opossum can eat thousands of ticks each year, so healthy opossum populations help keep tick populations in check and reduce the spread of tickborne diseases such as Lyme disease.
• Opossums have immunity to many of the venomous snakes in North America, and frequently eat venomous snakes because of it!

 

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Sources

Barr, T. R. (1963). Infectious diseases in the opossum: a review. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 53-71.

Gardner, A. L. (1982). Virginia opossum. Wild mammals of North America: biology, management, and economics. Eds. J. Chapman and G. Feldhamer. John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland, 3-36.

Voss, R. S., & Jansa, S. A. (2012). Snake‐venom resistance as a mammalian trophic adaptation: lessons from didelphid marsupials. Biological Reviews, 87(4), 822-837.