NEWS

15 Awesome Opossum Facts

Opossums – not to be confused with possums – can be found in their wild habitat, at Wildlands Conservancy’s 14 nature preserves, AND even in your backyard. However, these very common creatures are often overlooked. They are so much more special than many people realize.

Read on to learn 15 Awesome Opossum Facts! 

Photos by: Skip Cook

1:  Opossums rarely contract rabies.

You may see a wild animal like an opossum and immediately have concerns about rabies. But it is actually very rare for an opossum to contract rabies! Their body temperatures are too low for the rabies virus to survive. Their body temperatures range from 94°F to 97°F, whereas a typical mammal has a body temperature from 97°F to 103°F. 

2:  Opossums are the only marsupials in North America.

What makes an animal a marsupial? Cute little opossum babies grow in the mother’s pouch. Here is Wildlands Conservancy’s resident opossum, animal ambassador, and educator of thousands of children per year: Walnut, as a juvenile. By the way, juvenile opossums are called joeys. 

3: Opossums have semi-prehensile tails.

Their tails work like a fifth limb to help them balance and climb. Some folks may picture opossums hanging by their tails, but this is not accurate. Their hairless tails are only slightly prehensile; unlike monkeys, they cannot fully hang by their tails. 

4: Opossums are opportunistic omnivores. 

Opossums are willing to eat anything they can get their paws on in order to survive. While they don’t go out of their way to find prey, they’ll take advantage of a meal if it’s present. 

Photos by: Skip Cook

5: Opossums are habitat generalists. 

Just like their flexibility in diet, opossums can certainly survive in a variety of places.  Opossums can live in the suburbs, the city, rural areas, and the forest. (This might explain why you’ve seen one in your neck of the woods, or city, or rolling hills.) 

6: Do opossums eat ticks? 

Many folks associate opossums with eating ticks. When grooming, they will swallow ticks, but the number of ticks is not substantial. However, they do significantly reduce Lyme Disease by eating mice and other small rodents, which helps keep the number of ticks down. (Similarly, foxes do, too!) If you’re looking for an animal to thank for directly eating ticks, chickens and guinea fowl deserve the credit!  

7: Opossums don’t know they play dead.

Similar to how you flinch when something surprises you, an opossum playing dead is an involuntary reflex and natural defense mechanism against interested prey (real or perceived). Their heart rate and body temperature drop, and they release a repulsive smell! This comatose-roadkill state helps keep them alive.  

8: Worldwide, opossums are mostly tropical.

Many species of opossums live in warm climates, such as in South America. However, the Virginia Opossum found its way north.  They are really tough animals to survive the winter here, as they aren’t built for it. It is common for their tails and ears to get frostbite!  

Photos by: Skip Cook

9: Opossums are nocturnal.

They are mostly active between dusk and dawn. They like to sleep in safe, dark, and dry places. Some examples include the hollow of a tree, an old den dug by a different animal, or underneath a porch. They are nomadic, which means they usually don’t sleep in the same place two nights in a row. They are always on the move. 

10: What do opossums do in winter?

In the winter, opossums still remain active. However, they do reduce activity in the fall and winter.  

11: Opossums have two litters a year typically.

Litters can be anywhere from 4-25 babies. That’s a lotta opossums! Each baby is around the size of a honeybee when it’s born. 

12: Opossums vs possums

Many confuse the two based on their similar names. Opossums are the marsupial you can find in Pennsylvania and other places in the U.S. The opossum found here is Didelphis virginiana. A possum, on the other hand, is a different marsupial found in Australia and New Guinea.

13: Opossums have 50 teeth.

This is the more teeth than any other land mammal in North America. They have sharp teeth for tearing and flat teeth for crushing. They also show them to scare away predators. 

14: Opossums are immune to snake venom

Opossum blood has a special protein called the Lethal Toxin-Neutralizing Factor. This helps keep them safe from venomous snakes.  

15: Opossums are strong swimmers.

Opossums swim to flee from predators.  They can hold their breath and even close their pouches to protect their babies. 

A Tail – or Tale? – of Two Interns 

My name is Sophia Fox; I am currently going into my senior year at West Chester University for English with minors in professional and technical writing and French. I am presently enjoying a wild time serving as Wildlands Conservancy’s summer communications intern. This opportunity is giving me the chance to learn about communications and media, as well as native wildlife. At a Wildlife Meet and Greet I attended, I learned about a few different animals. One of which really grabbed my attention was Opie the opossum. Opie inspired me to research facts about opossums and write these 15 Awesome Opossum Facts! 

Miranda is an animal care intern at Wildlands, going into her final year at Kutztown University for Biology with a concentration on organismal ecology and a minor in marine science. Something she loves about Wildlands is the opportunity to work with a variety of animals. Like me, she enjoys the opossums, specifically Stevie. In her role as animal care intern, she provides enrichment, maintains a clean enclosure for the animals, and helps keep them fed. This is the perfect opportunity for Miranda since she has a heart for wildlife.  

Sophia and Miranda. Photos by: Skip Cook

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