Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana)

Didelphis virginiana (“Didelphis” means double womb and refers to the pouch as a secondary place of development for the infant opossum. “Virginiana” refers to the state of Virginia where English colonists first observed them.)

1-2 years in the wild, but can live 5 to 10 years in captivity.

35 to 94 cm

25–53 cm

0.3 to 6.4 kg

Description

• They're a medium-sized mammal similar in size to a house cat.
• Their fur is white underneath with black tips and there are long white guard hairs throughout, whichs gives them that grizzled appearance. The hair on their face is short and white.
• They have 50 teeth which they'll gladly show when scared or angry. This is where the phrase "grinning like an opossum” comes from.
• They have a long, scaly tail that looks similar to a rat's tail. It's prehensile which means it can be used to grasp onto objects such as tree limbs. However, unlike you may have heard, opossums can't hang upside down from their tails.
• Their front paws are quite dexterous, which lets them hold onto food. On their back feet they have a “hallux”, which is a thumb-like appendage that helps grasp onto branches as they climb.
• There are a few differences between males and females. The males are slightly larger and the underside of their neck is stained yellow from a gland located beneath the skin. The females have a fur-lined pouch on the underside of the stomach where their babies nurse.

Location / Habitat

• The Virginia Opossum is the only opossum that is native to the United States and Canada.
• They can be found in North America from Central America and Mexico in the south, through the United States and north into southwestern Ontario.
• They live in all sorts of habitats including deciduous forests, open woods and farmland.
• They prefer to den in hollow trees but will use woodpiles, rock piles, crevices in cliffs, under buildings, attics, and in burrows dug by other animals.

Behaviour

• When threatened, they'll exhibit behaviors like running, growling, belching, urinating and even defecating. They also have their signature move – playing dead. They roll over, become stiff, drool, and their breathing becomes slow and shallow. This coma-like state can last up to 6 hours – which is more than a enough time for a predator to grow bored!

Food

• They are omnivorous and will eat just about anything they find including fruits, insects, and other small animals. They also like snacking on garbage and carrion (dead animals).

Breeding

• Their mating season starts in January or February and goes to June or July.
• The mother gives birth to up to 21 babies (usually 7 to 9). They're super, super tiny - weighing only [449653] around 0.16 grams. They're also born blind, helpless and hairless. Basically they're like little pink jelly beans!
• The babies must make their way up to the mother’s abdominal pouch where they each attach themselves to a nipple and begin to nurse. There are usually only 13 nipples in the mother’s pouch so only the ones that find a nipple will survive.
• A baby will usually remain attached to the nipple for 50 to 65 days, after which it'll be large enough to detach itself. By around 95 to 105 days, it'll no longer depend on its mother and will leave to go live on its own.

Threats

• The Virginia Opossum is not in any great danger as they have adapted quite well to the presence of humans. In fact, they seem to appear to be extending their geographic range northward.

Find out more:

http://www.si.edu/