Opossum FAQ
Opossum - Didelphimorphia
Best known for feigning death or 'playing possum,' the opossum is a small to medium-sized marsupial. They range in size from a large house cat, to the size of a mouse. Opossums can vary in color, usually appearing in either black-and-white, gray, black, brown or a mixed variation of the above. Having an unspecialized biology, reproductive strategy and a flexible diet make them successful survivors in wild and urban areas alike. Their hind feet have an opposable digit that has no claw, and they also have a prehensile tail.
Opossums are very nomadic and are usually solitary animals, staying in an area so long as a source of food and water are readily available. Some families though will group together in burrows or under houses. They do not dig or put forth much effort into building their own, and so will occupy abandoned burrows. Being nocturnal, dark, secure areas either above or below ground are preferred.
If an opossum is threatened or harmed, they will feign death, taking on the appearance and smell of a sick or dead animal. They draw their lips back, bare their teeth, saliva forms around the mouth, and a foul-smelling fluid is secreted from anal glands. The act is an involuntary one, and an opossum in such a state can be prodded, turned over, or even carried away. They will regain consciousness anywhere from minutes to hours later and escape. A threatened opossum may also growl deeply, raising the pitch if the danger escalates. Even though they have a prehensile tail, it is not strong enough to support a mature adults weight. Babies may dangle from tree branches for a short time using their tail. It is used more as a brace or fifth limb while climbing. It can be used as a grip to carry leaves or other bedding materials to a nest.
As opossums are marsupials, they have a reproductive system that consists of a placenta and a marsupium, or a pouch. The gestation period for opossums is very similar to other small marsupials, averaging at only 12 to 14 days. The males are usually larger than the females, and as many as 15 young can be born at once, depending on the species. Unlike other mammals of similar size, the opossums life span is short, usually only two to four years.
They are omnivores, and have an extremely broad diet. It's mainly a carrion diet and many opossums are killed on the highway while scavenging for roadkill. They will also eat insects, amphibians, birds, small mammals, earthworms and a wide variety of fruits. With such a broad diet, they are able to take advantage of unsecured garbage provided by humans.
Unlike raccoons, opossums are less likely to carry the rabies virus. However the same amount of care and precautions should be taken when in the presence of opossums. Rabies is a lethal disease that is carried in the saliva and transmitted by bites. Opossums should not be approached or handled except by professionals.
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