In some areas they can be trapped or hunted by humans but the main threat from humans is collision with motor vehicles. Upon entering the pouch, each newborn must attach itself to a nipple or perish. However, the Center for Disease Control reports that in the United States, the vast majority of recorded rabies cases come from the bite of 4 animals - raccoons, skunks, foxes and bats. There is a formidable array of some 50 small, sharp teeth in the mouth. Virginia opossums have a long head and pointed snout, rounded naked ears, and a scaly, nearly hairless, prehensile tail that is about half of their total length. They begin their nightly activities at dusk and are active until dawn. They donât hibernate but do reduce activity during the coldest seasons. Sometimes they will eat garbage and carrion. By eating carrion, the risk of disease spreading in the area is lowered. They commonly prey on snakes, including poisonous species, and are immune to pit viper venom. Virginia opossums are famous for entering a catatonic state when they are alarmed; this is commonly known as âgoing opossumâ. Their underfur is usually whitish and tipped in black, but their coloration varies throughout their range. Virginia opossums have a narrow snout, with a pink nose and prominent whiskers. However, the total number that can be raised is determined by how many teats (normally 13) are in the pouch. The opossum is a successful scavenger, thanks to its adaptability and excellent immune system. The Virginia opossum can eat up to 5,000 ticks in a single season. The species that many people think of when hearing about this animal is the common opossum, also known as Virginia opossum. Gestation period is 12 â 14 days. They donât hibernate but do reduce activity during the coldest seasons. Interesting Facts About the Opossum Opossums, the only naturally occurring marsupial in North America, are incredibly interesting creatures. Letâs meet Its ears are hairless, black, and tipped or edged with white. VIRGINIA OPOSSUM FACTS. Virginia opossum | Description, Habitat, & Facts Virginia opossum, the only marsupial (family Didelphidae, subfamily Didelphinae) found north of Mexico. They have long, hairless, prehensile tails and feet with an opposable hallux (or thumb) that help them hold on to branches. The opossum has been around for at least 70 million years and is one of Earth's oldest surviving mammals! Nor does it dig or claw. In the United States, it is typically referred to simply as a possum. The opossum in the photograph above has lost the end of its tail due to frostbite. Males are usually larger than females. They are ⦠Unlike so many marsupials of today, the opossum is doing well for the following reasons: It is adaptable and able to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, insects, small vertebrates etc. Able climbers, opossums occupy a variety of habitats as long as water is available. If caught on the ground and not able to escape, a Virginia opossum may become catatonic. Opossums are natureâs pest control and trash management. The speciesâ behavior gave rise to the phrase âplaying possumâ. The Virginia opossum is predominantly found in east and south of North America. It was Captain John Smith who used the term opossum for the first time in 1608. If caught on the ground and not able to escape, a Virginia opossum may become catatonic, appearing to be unconscious or dead. Read on for some facts about the common North American opossum, otherwise known as the Virginia opossum. Read on for more opossum facts. Gestation is 12–13 days. Geographic Range. Classification, physical attributes, nesting habits and even a information on what "playing opossum" is all about. The opossum has a heavyset body covered with grayish fur. As many as 25 young may be born in each litter, but the maximum number raised by the mother is determined by the number of teats (normally 13) in the pouch, and the average number of pouch young is usually 7 or 8. Its long head has a pointed snout, long whiskers and 50 sharp teeth. The Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana), sometimes called a possum, is a marsupial.There are many marsupials in Australia, but the Virginia Opossum is the only North American marsupial. Teeth. Male Virginia opossums may grow to 100 cm (40 inches) but average about 76 cm (30 inches) in total length (including the tail); females average about 72 cm (28 inches). Itâs quiet, doesnât pick fights or leave foul odors. The opossum (order Didelphimorphia) is the only marsupial found in the Americas. Facts about possums often include claims that they are disease-carrying dangerous creatures. The Virginia opossum is the only marsupial found north of Mexico. The Virginia opossum can often be found in wooded areas, though its habitat may vary widely. The Virginia opossum is about the size of a cat. Fun Facts About Opossums When they are born, baby opossums are only about the size of a bee. They live alone, are active at night, and they are good climbers. Description The Virginia Opossum has a long head and pointed snout, with long whiskers. Around 85 days old they begin eating solid food and are weaned completely between 93 and 105 days. The only opossum species occurring north of Mexico is the. Opossum Facts: 1. The average number of young is typically 7 or 8. Opossum Waleed-July 10, 2018 0 The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) is North Americaâs only marsupial. There are more than 60 species of opossum. They reach sexual maturity within their first year of life, at about 6 months for females and 8 for males. Adult opossums get a bit larger than this. Their fore and hind feet have five toes, all with sharp claws except for the clawless, thumblike, opposable innermost toe on the hind feet. The body is shaped like a large cat and has a long pointed tail with a scaly appearance. Only one species of opossum, the Virginia opossum, lives in the United States and Canada. Virginia opossums eat almost anything, including fruit, insects, earthworms, eggs, nestlings, birds, reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, and carrion. Each foot has five toes; one toe is opposable. When startled or frightened, opossums can pretend to be dead (or âplay possumâ). Born blind and naked and weighing about 0.13 gram (0.0046 ounce) apiece, these tiny, larvalike young crawl upward using their forelimbs as they seek the mother’s fur-lined pouch. POSTURE. Diet Omnivorous; feeds on small vertebrates, carrion, invertebrates, and plant matter They are very good climbers and may establish their dens in trees. The Virginia opossum lives in regions as far north as Canada and as far south as Central America, while other types of opossums only inhabit countries south of the United States. There are more than 60 different species of opossum. They are very good climbers and may establish their dens in trees. Sources vary widely about their weight, with some reporting a range of 4.6 to 6.2 pounds (2.1 to 2.8 kg) and others as high as 8.8 to 13.2 pounds (4 to 6 kg). One of the coolest common opossum facts is that newborn opossum babies are only about the size of a raisin! But they can show directional turns to avoid being captured when pursued. Opossum is the common name for various small- to medium-sized marsupial mammals. The common opossum is found in Central America and the northern South America. Virginia Opossums are found in Eastern North America from southern Maine, Southern Canada, and Michigan to South Dakota; south through Mexico and Central America to Costa Rica. Opossums are scavengers, and they often visit human homes or settlements to raid garbage cans, dumpsters, and other containers. An opossum is about the size of a house cat. The face is white in northern populations and dusky brown or blackish in populations from Texas southward but always with a white cheek patch—a characteristic used to identify this species where it occurs together (sympatry) with the common opossum. Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub, 2. Depending on the species, female opossums have 5-13 nipples available to offspring, while ⦠This is a study specimen of a juvenile opossum. These opossums are scavengers, making them very important in their habitat. Virginia Opossum Facts, Lifespan, and Habitat North American Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) with a winter coat. The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), commonly known as the North American opossum, is the only marsupial found north of Mexico. With more than 200 marsupial species naturally present in and around Australia, more than a hundred more additional species are native to South and Central America, whereas this curious marsupial stands alone as the only creature of its kind in Canada and the United States. Reciprocity and Mr. Protection.Source Virginia Opossum Reproduction Virginia Opossums mate both in late winter and in springtime. The coarse coat of long guard hair overlying the shorter, dense underfur may be either pale gray (gray phase) or mainly black (black phase). Sixty-five other species of opossums live in other parts of the world, but only the Virginia opossum lives throughout the A wild opossum may even live for only a year while opossums raised in captivity can live up to four years. They can also swim or climb to escape from danger. Populations in western Canada and along the Pacific coast south to northern Baja California, Mexico, originated as introductions from the eastern United States. The animal lives in a wide range of habitats, including open woods, deciduous forests, and farmland. The opossum is the only species of marsupial (mammals with a pouch in which they carry their young) that is found outside of Australia an it's surrounding islands. It is a pouched mammal just like koala or kangaroo. The IUCN Red List and other sources do not provide the Virginia opossum total population size, but this animal is common and widespread throughout its known range. Here are 13 Interesting Opossum facts. A marsupial is an animal with a pouch, like a kangaroo or a koala. Opossums have the most teeth out of any other North American mammal, 50. â Source 7. Meet the virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) including their appearance, diet, habitat, range, breeding, facts and behavior. A marsupial is an animal with a pouch, like a kangaroo or a koala. Breeding is typically from December to August. The Virginia Opossum has long been found in much of what is now Central America, Me⦠It is a successful opportunist. Currently this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are increasing. The Virginia Opossum is the ideal visitor to your yard. In the United States, the animal is typically referred to simply as a possum. A group of opossums is called a passel. It has a white face and thin, black ears. The Virginia opossum is North America's only marsupial. The Virginia opossum is the only marsupial found in North America north of Mexico. Virginia opossum The "o" is important Type Mammals Area North America Endangered Status Stable facts size 2.5 feet in length, from nose to tail An average soccer ball is 8.65 inches tall. The fur is grayish and is everywhere except its ears, tail and feet. I have listed my Top 7 Opossum facts about ⦠Most body functions remain normal, but the animal appears to be unconscious or dead. Adult opossums reach an overall body length of 13â37 inches with a tail measuring at 8.5â19 inches. The opossum has a long, pointed face with black eyes, long whiskers and a distinctive pink nose. The tail slightly prehensile (grasping) and mostly hairless. During this behavior the animal becomes motionless, this may last as little as a minute, or it may A short time after the first litter becomes independent, the female breeds again. Virginia Opossums are 2 to 3 feet (61 to 91 cm) long, plus a tail length of 8 to 13 (20 to 33 cm) inches. The Virginia possum is well-known for playing dead when it is threatened. This behaviour has given rise to the expression “playing possum.” Fat opossums were once a popular food in the southern United States, and possum hunting was a popular sport. The common opossum and Virginia opossum are found in the United States, Mexico, Central America, South America and Canada. These marsupials are great climbers. Males are usually larger than females. Some Facts on the Opossum Advertisement There are 65 different species of opossums. The name âopossumâ was used for the first time in western culture in 1608 by Captain John Smith. The Virginia opossum is a competent climber and swimmer and can reach a running speed of 4.6 mph (7.4 km/h). Opossums are optimistic omnivores cleaning up our environment each night of trash, road kill, even keeping those pesky rodents and ⦠Size Approximately 609 to 914 mm (24 to 36 inches) Weight 2.7 to 5.9 kg (6 to 13 lbs.) And they often prefer to âplay possumâ in stressful situations and hope the problem goes away, rather than confront it head-on. It has a long, tapered, scaly tail. https://www.britannica.com/animal/Virginia-opossum, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History - North American Mammals - Virginia Opossum. They are about the same size as a large house cat, having a triangular head with a long pointed nose. The scientific name for the opossum is Didelphia virginiana. It has a long, prehensile tail and short legs with sharp claws. White hair covers its face, and its body is a sparse, coarse grizzl⦠The exaggerated pupil dilation is ⦠It is familiar to many North Americans as they frequently inhabit settled areas due to the associated proximity to food sources, notably trash cans. Fast Facts Description The Virginia opossum is gray or black with white-tipped guard hairs and a long, pointed snout. 1985. Benjamin Harrison had two pet opossums named Mr. In this article, we will be mostly discussing Virginia opossum facts and benefits to the garden. Opossums Kill Ticks by the Thousands ... Outside of Mexico, the Virginia opossum is the only known marsupial to make its home in North America â although there are several other species of opossum that can be found in other parts of the world. They also prefer areas that are wet, like marshes, swamps and streams. Its ears, eyes, eye rings, and feet and the basal one-third to one-half of the naked tail are black. Only one of these lives in North America. The life span of Virginia opossums is short. The only opossum species occurring north of Mexico is the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), which ranges from lower eastern Canada and Puget Sound southward to Costa Rica; other members of that genus are found in South America.The Virginia opossum may grow to 100 cm (40 inches) in length (including the tail) and is about the size of a house cat. Omissions? Most reproductive females are under a year of age, and few live long enough to breed a second year. 1-5 Opossum Facts 1. The Virginia opossum is the only member of the genus that stores body fat, and older males may exceed 6 kg (13.2 pounds) in the fall of the year. Their breathing even slows down for a few minutes or up to several hours. If the mouth is not carefully detached from the nipple before the young can open its mouth on its own, the skin of the nipple may be torn and bleed—hence the notion that the mouth and nipple had grown together. Amongst their fur are long white-tipped guard hairs. The myth that the opossum gives birth through its nose probably begins from the female’s habit of licking the pouch and surrounding fur just before the young are born. Each of the female’s nipples, which have become enlarged and elongated by the first litter, develops a small projection (papilla) to which the newborn from the second litter attaches. It is from the Algonquin word âapasumâ, meaning âwhite animal.â. Opossums have a lifespan of just two years. North Americaâs only marsupial mammal (female has a pouch) Have 50 sharp teeth and can eat almost anything Natural immunity to rabies (8 times less likely to carry rabies than wild dogs) Have partial or total immunity to snake venom; Although they are still trapped, their fur has a low market value. It has grizzled white and gray fur. Virginia opossums are nocturnal, solitary and terrestrial. 6. An individual will curl up with its mouth open, tongue hanging out, and it looks dead. ⦠It is a solitary and nocturnal animal about the size of a domestic cat. Although they prefer deciduous woodlands with streams, they use all habitats within their range. They only remain in one den for a long period when weaning young. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. 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Facts is that newborn opossum babies are only about the same size as a large house,... 13 lbs virginia opossum facts in Mexico and Central America if caught on the opossum is North America, are until! Its foot-long, hairless, prehensile ( grasping ) tail away, rather than it. A better chance of survival in urban environments partially because there are fewer predators live long enough to breed second...
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