The Virginia opossum Didelphis virginiana, is a marsupial native to North and Central America. It has been widely studied for its unique adaptations, which have enabled it to become one of the most successful mammal species in the world. This article will discuss some of these adaptions and provide an overview of their behavior and …
The Virginia Opossum can be found in the United States and Canada. Many animals have a difficult time in winter, but these marsupials have adopted various tactics that help them stay alive during long winters. Opossums do not hibernate and need to find a dry, warm shelter to make their nest. Opossums can be seen …
I walked out of my house the other day and saw an overturned trash can on my porch and an opossum sticking his head out. He looked quite happy, so I left him alone and went and wrote this article. Opossums are not generally aggressive or vicious but have been known to attack humans. Opossums …
In the animal kingdom, communication is vital to survival. Animals do not have the complex vocal repertoire as humans do, so they must find other ways to interact with one another. Opossums use a small number of body signals, but most of their communication is through vocalizations. The Virginia opossum makes a hissing sound or …
The opossum is the only pouched animal (marsupial) native to North America. These are nocturnal species that are primarily active at night. Opossums are excellent climbers and capable swimmers, allowing them to avoid predators. These nocturnal animals are famous for faking death, which is another way to outwit their enemies. Opossums are good in your …
I found another opossum in my garden the other day. It was laying, doing what they do best, playing possum. I didn’t touch it because I didn’t think it was dead. When I went back an hour later, it had gone. Opossums feign death as a mechanism to stop predators from attacking them. Playing dead …
Though opossums can live up to four years in captivity, in the wild, they usually only live a year or less. I’ll explore biological factors to habitat conditions that make it difficult for these creatures to survive and examine how humans complicate their lives even more. Opossums have a lifespan of about one year in …