Virginia opossum
Did you know…..While opossums are very commonly referred to as “possums,” the possum is actually a separate creature. Possums include several species of nocturnal, arboreal (tree-dwelling) marsupials native to Australia and New Guinea. The story goes that they were mistakenly named “possum” in the 18th century after their North American cousin, the opossum.
The most notable is the Virginia opossum or common opossum, which is the only marsupial found in the U.S. and Canada. The word opossum comes from the Virginia Algonquian (native American) word “aposoum,” which means “white dog” or “white beast.”
Opossums age rapidly and have an unusually short lifespan for mammals of their size — usually only two to four years.
Opossums have extraordinarily hardy immune systems that protect them against the venom of rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, and other pit vipers. Because of their low body temperature, opossums are also about 8 times less likely to carry rabies than wild dogs.
Brushtail Possum
Male opossums are called jacks, females are called jills, their youngsters are referred to as joeys (just like their Australian cousins), and a group of opossums is called a passel.
When they feel threatened, adult opossums draw back their lips, bare their teeth, foam at the mouth, close their eyes or adopt a fixed stare, and secrete a smelly fluid from their anal glands. They also fall over on their side, curl up in a ball, and “play dead.” In this position, an opossum can be turned over, and even picked up and carried away without responding.
This is actually an involuntary rather than a conscious physiological response, they faint in response to extreme stress, and a “playing possum” opossum will typically regain consciousness in 40 minutes to 4 hours. The waking up process begins with a slight twitching of the ears.
