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OPOSSUMS ARE VERY ADAPTABLE ANIMALS
OPOSSUMS HAVE LIVED FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS THROUGH MANY MANY SITUATIONS IN MANY VERY VARIED AND CHANGEABLE HABITATS
the VIRGINIA OPOSSUM is a mammal
the VIRGINIA OPOSSUM is a marsupial
THERE ARE 260 SPECIES OF MARSUPIALS WORLDWIDE THE SMALLEST IS .. Pilbara ningaui head and body .. 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 inches tail .. 2 - 3 inches
THE LARGEST IS .. red kangaroo head and body .. 65 inches tail .. 42 inches
THE VIRGINIA OPOSSUM HAS SIMILARITIES TO KANGAROOS AND TO KOALA BEARS
marsupial mammals have a few differences from non marsupial eutherian placental mammals
THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MARSUPIAL MAMMALS AND PLACENTAL MAMMALS IS THE METHOD OF SPECIES PERPETUATION
THE YOUNG OF MARSUPIAL MAMMALS ARE BORN LESS DEVELOPED THAN THE YOUNG OF EUTHERIAN MAMMALS
PLACENTAL MAMMALS DEVELOP THEIR YOUNG INTERNALLY INSIDE THEIR UTERUS UNTIL THE BABIES ARE WELL DEVELOPED MARSUPIAL MAMMALS DEVELOP THEIR YOUNG INTERNALLY INSIDE THEIR UTERUS FOR A VERY BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME THE NATAL OR POST-BIRTH DEVELOPMENT OF THE BABIES IS THEN COMPLETED IN THE MATERNITY POUCH
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BIOLOGY physical characteristics
COLOR pale gray with white face white in southern part of range darker color dark brown to almost black pink skin pink tail tail has very sparse amount of hair
FUR body is covered with fur fur is rough and coarse lengths of fur vary so coat looks shaggy
SIZE adult VIRGINIA OPOSSUM about the size of an adult house cat BODY length 15-20 inches TAIL length 10 - 21 inches tail almost as long as body WEIGHT adult VIRGINIA OPOSSUM 7 - 13 pounds
HEAD FACE short white fur on face smooth fur on face long long snout
EARS large dark gray black at base close to head with whitish pale pink tips paper thin very little sparse hair on ears
SUPER EXCELLENT SENSE OF HEARING !
EYES large very very dark color
VISION IS VERY GOOD DURING DAYTIME VISION IS GREAT AT NIGHT
NOSE pink nose long long tactile whiskers around tip of snout near nose light colored whiskers whiskers feels and communicate sensory information to brain nerve at base of each whisker is the method of travel for the sensory information
SENSE OF SMELL IS VERY VERY VERY GOOD ! ! !
MOUTH always look like they are smiling large enormous amount of teeth !! 50 teeth !!! all super super super sharp !
more teeth than any other animal in NORTH AMERICA
almost twice as many teeth as most other animals in NORTH AMERICA
BODY POUCH maternity pouch is located on the abdomen of female opossums 4 inches long expandable fur lined
FEET pink have very little sparse hair very very flexible feet very very strong feet
front paws 5 digits (toes) on each of the 2 front paws all toes are very long all toes are widely separated all 5 toes of each paw have a claw extremely extremely strong strong claws for gripping and climbing trees
hind (back) feet 5 toes on each of the 2 hind feet all toes are very long all toes are widely separated only 4 toes of each foot have a claw extremely extremely strong strong claws for gripping and climbing trees fifth toe of each hind foot does not have a claw fifth toe is positioned with tip towards the tail fifth toe acts as a thumb fifth opposable thumb-like toe on each foot is a fantastic adaptation for SUPER climbing abilities !
FOOT PAW PRINTS print sizes front paw print 2 inches wide 2 inches long
hind foot print 3 inches wide 3 inches long
TAIL tail is very very long almost as long as body tail is pink tail has very little sparse hair the VIRGINIA OPOSSUM has a PREHENSILE tail the tail is used a fifth leg the tail is very very very strong tail is so strong that the VIRGINIA OPOSSUM can use tail to hang upside down they hang upside down by wrapping tail around a branch the VIRGINIA OPOSSUM is the only animal in NORTH AMERICA with a prehensile tail !! !! !!
PREHENSILE TAIL is a physical characteristic of an animal's tail so it can grab with great strength
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LIFESPAN
VIRGINIA OPOSSUMS LIVE FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS ! ! !
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WHERE IN THE WORLD
AN OPOSSUM IS ANY MEMBER OF A SPECIFIC FAMILY OF FURRY MARSUPIAL MAMMALS THAT LIVE IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE OF THE WORLD
THE VIRGINIA OPOSSUM IS THE ONLY SPECIES OF OPOSSUM IN THE UNITED STATES
THE VIRGINIA OPOSSUM IS ORIGINALLY NATIVE TO SOUTH AMERICA AND NOW TO NORTH AMERICA ALSO
THE VIRGINIA OPOSSUM LIVES ONLY IN NORTH AMERICA CENTRAL AMERICA NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA
THEIR RANGE IS from ONTARIO CANADA southward into SOUTH AMERICA
southern CANADA south to northeastern NEW ENGLAND south through CENTRAL AMERICA
eastern coast of UNITED STATES west to central UNITED STATES
OREGON UNITED STATES south through CALIFORNIA south to northern SOUTH AMERICA
THE VIRGINIA OPOSSUM IS NAMED Didelphis virginiana virginiana because the opossums were first noticed by European colonists in the North American English colony of VIRGINIA
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HABITAT
THE HABITAT OF VIRGINIA OPOSSUMS CAN VERY GREATLY
they are comfortable on both the ground and in trees
they live in deciduous forests scrubland rural country land urban city land
they prefer to be near water they usually make their nests on the ground they do not dig their own dens
they will use the existing nest of another animal or build their own
virginia opossums may share nests with rabbits skunks woodchucks
they will nest in abandoned nests or dens of other animals raccoons woodchucks
old abandoned buildings brush piles fallen hollow logs rock crevices abandoned crow nests abandoned squirrel nests tree roots inside hollow tree at base
the virginia opossum is somewhat nomadic they change their sleeping dens constantly VIRGINIA OPOSSUMS make 5 or 6 nests within their home territory about 3/4 of the time VIRGINIA OPOSSUMS use one of their multiple dens for just one night before they move on to another sometimes they stay in their den nests up to 20 days during winter winter dens in the north are always underground because of the cold temperatures
lined with leaves soft plant material .. soft downy material inside butterfly weed seed pods .. thistle down
building materials transported to nest construction site in a very AMAZING and interesting way .. take mouthfuls of vegetation - leaves - plant down pass it down under chin between front legs uses front paws to pass down under abdomen then curls tail forward towards chest under body curling and holding tail close to body abdomen pushes leaves and other material between body abdomen and tail holds tail tight carries leaves and nest lining material to den then arranges in den with mouth nose and front paws
the home territory of a VIRGINIA OPOSSUM is within 1/4 of a square mile of their most recently used den nest
young adult female VIRGINIA OPOSSUMS travel and establish themselves less than 1/4 mile away from the place of their birth
young adult male VIRGINIA OPOSSUMS establish themselves a little further away form their birth place
their range overlaps that of neighboring VIRGINIA OPOSSUMS
VIRGINIA OPOSSUMS build their nests during the middle of the night their underground nests have a plug of leaves at the entrance that acts as a door in winter the plug is very dense the dense plug acts as insulation against the cold of the winter just they way that doors do for human homes
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SOCIAL ORGANIZATION
ADULT VIRGINIA OPOSSUMS ARE SOLITARY ANIMALS
SCIENTISTS DO NOT KNOW OR UNDERSTAND ALL THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT THE SOCIAL ORGANIZATION OF VIRGINIA OPOSSUMS
MALE VIRGINIA OPOSSUMS ARE AGGRESSIVE TO OTHER MALE VIRGINIA OPOSSUMS
MALES ARE NOT AGGRESSIVE TO FEMALES
NON ESTRUS FEMALE VIRGINIA OPOSSUMS ARE AGGRESSIVE TO OTHER FEMALE VIRGINIA OPOSSUMS IN ESTRUS
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COMMUNICATION
THE VIRGINIA OPOSSUM COMMUNICATES BY USING SOUND PHYSICAL MOVEMENT SCENT
males scent mark trees by licking or rubbing their faces on an object .. like a tree .. other males pick up the scent and cover it over with their own scent mark they also stamp their feet aggressively and kick their feet out to the sides laterally as they scent mark
females respond to the male scent marks by marking nearby with their own urine scent mark
scent marking occurs all year but mostly during mating time
scent marking helps males locate estrus females and helps estrus females locate males
VIRGINIA OPOSSUMS COMMUNICATE BOUNDARIES BY MARKING THEIR TERRITORY WITH BODILY ELIMINATIONS
WHEN THREATENED .. VIRGINIA OPOSSUMS COMMUNICATE THEIR " FIERCENESS " THROUGH PHYSICAL GESTURES AND VOCALIZATIONS deep warning hisses growls opening their mouths and showing their teeth lunging at threat
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WOODCARVING PHOTOGRAPHS 5 inches tall
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LISTEN TO THE SONG OF BIRDS THAT GOD MADE FROM HIS ENDURING AND FAITHFUL LOVE
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" says the Lord .. “I will protect them .. " Psalm 12:5
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