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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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