North America’s only Marsupial – Virginia Opossum

The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) is North America’s only marsupial. It is only the size of a domestic cat weighing up to 15 pounds. Adult males are bigger than females. Virginia opossums are mainly recognized by their grayish black hair. They have pink nose and narrow snout. Like Australia possums, Virginia opossums have long tail—reaching the length of its body. They are strictly nocturnal animals. Opossums are thought to be successful opportunist.

North America’s only Marsupial – Virginia Opossum Facts

Physical Characteristics and Description

Virginia opossums have varied sizes and weights. The northern population appears to be bigger than the one inhabiting tropics.

Adult opossums reach the overall length of 13–37 in (35–94 cm) with the tail measuring at 8.5–19 in (21.6–47 cm).

Males weigh around 1.7 to 14 lb (0.8–6.4 kg) while females average 8.2 lb (0.3–3.7 kg). There is so much variation in the size of Virginia opossum that the northern population is 20 times the size of tropical population.

The opossum’s body is covered with black and white hairs whereas its face and tail are hairless.

Virginia opossums have 50 teeth and their thumbs lack claws. They use their long tail to grab branches. The female opossums have 13 nipples.

north america's only marsupial
Virginia Opossum

Virginia Opossum Tracks

  • Like raccoon, opossum’s each foot has also five toes but the tracks of two animals are quite different.
  • The length of opossum’s tracks is 1.9 inch with its width measuring at 2.0 inches. Virginia opossums have the same pacing gait like woodchucks, raccoons, beavers, skunks, and badgers.
  • Opossums are able to take a long stride of 7 to 10 in, or 18 to 25 cm.

Virginia Opossum Playing Dead –  Behavior

  • Opossums are generally infamous for paying dead behavior—the behavior commonly known as playing possum. According to studies, this behavior isn’t triggered deliberately; it is an involuntary reaction activated by extreme fear instead.
  • Nonetheless, opossums likely respond strongly against any probable threat and they sound like screeching and hissing.
  • The opossum can continue to play dead for as long as six hours. The reaction stops immediately when it gets away with the threat.
  • Virginia opossums are strictly nocturnal. They emerge from dusk to dawn. They are pretty submissive and shy animals.
north america's only marsupial
Joeys

Virginia Opossum Habitat

  • The primary habitat of Virginia opossum is wooded area particularly the one adjacent to water.
  • Opossums also inhabit near human settlements.
  • They will not build their dens. Opossums are known to occupy abandoned dens or burrows. They may also find shelter in old buildings or hollow trees and fallen logs.
  • The average home range is 12 to 264 acres.

Geographic Range and Distribution

  • Virginia opossums are widely distributed in Illinois. The largest population in the southern state is found in Mississippi, Ohio rivers, and Wabash.
  • During summer, around 300 individuals occur ever square mile. They become particularly abundant in midsummer.
Didelphis marsupialis virginianas/Common Possum PHOTO BY Blog – NUS

What Do Virginia Opossums Eat? – Virginia Opossum Diet

  • Opossums rely on animals and plants including grains, carrion, mice, fruits, snails, snakes, small animals, birds, and earthworms. Virginia opossums are omnivores.
  • They are immune to snake’s venom. Virginia opossums are most likely to feed on persimmons. The captive specimens can also eat their own species but wild individuals do not appear to show any kind of cannibalism.
  • Opossums remain active all year round; they never hibernate—not even in extreme cold.
  • They are scavengers too. The carrion makes up much of their diet. Like Tasmanian devils, most opossums also killed by road vehicles.

Lifespan, Predators and Reproductive Biology

  • Virginia opossum begins to mate in December and continues to breed till October. The peak mating months range from February and June.
  • A female likely produces 1 to 3 litters annually. The birth occurs in February and June. During breeding season, the female gets attracted by the male that produces clicking sounds.
  • The Virginia opossum female produces as many as 50 young (20 – 30 are common) but it can feed only 13 young at a time. The female has only 13 teats. The young joeys come out of pouch after about 100 days but they remain with their mother for as long as 120 to 150 days.
  • The average life expectancy of a Virginia opossum is about 2 years in its natural habitat.
  • Predators of Virginia opossum are great horned owl, snakes, foxes, coyotes, dogs, raccoons, raptors, and bobcats.

North America’s only Marsupial – Virginia Opossum

I'm excited to share my passion for possums with you. As an avid writer and naturalist, I've learned the significant role possums play in an ecosystem. The relation between Australian possums and North American opossums fascinates me. Through this blog, my goal is to provide information about how these species fit into the web of life.

2 COMMENTS

  1. I also love opossums and have rescued and raised several. I know they like water and will swim underwater to catch fish and crayfish. they also are easy to house train as they will always use a pan of water if available.When they eat fruit with seeds such as grapes they will spit out the seeds so you will not see seeds in their feces. I have see them make a tool – strip the leaves off a twig then use the twig to dig an insect out of a crack to eat. I have just read that they ,like flying squirrels and duck billed platypus, are bio fluorescent. I would like to know more about this. What do you know of this research?

  2. This is not North America’s only marsupial. It’s the only one north of Mexico but there are several other species of opossum that live through Mexico and Central America, like the woolly opossum, common opossum, four eyed opossum, and yapok. South America has even more species, as well as shrew opossums and something called the monito del monte that is more related to Australian marsupials.

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