Didelphis virginianus , the Virginia opossum , commonly called “ phalanger , ” brings a unique band of beast superpowers to North America . This animal that ’s aboriginal to southeastern U.S. and Central America mirror our civilization ’s patterns with its front . Clustered in arena of dumb universe that unintentionally supply a year - rung food provision , opossums are part of unremarkable life for many . However , just about every look of this beast is unusual and misunderstood .
Opossum Is A Super Omnivore
An omnivorous mammal could mean sorrows over lost crops and livestock . However , when it come to opossums , most of their freehearted pestilence control goes unnoticed : They deplete ball , but they also eatslugs . Theyeat chickens , but they also eat gnawer . They eat yield , but they also run through venomoussnakes . They consume bunnies , but they also eatticks .
In fact , they eat many , many ticks . Researchers count on that one opossum could run through between 4,000 and 5,000 ticks per time of year . The chances of selection for the blood - sucking , disease - carrying parasites that inhabit an opossum ’s coat are only about 3.5 percent , as opposed to a survival charge per unit of 50 percentage for ticks that get tie to a blank - footed computer mouse .
Opossums Have Super Organs
Reproductive system of opossum and other marsupials are fascinating . The male have fork penises , which match nicely with the females ’ internal organ , which separate in two , as well . Even the sperm swim in duet for part of their journey .
child opossums have the shortest gestation period of any mammal in North America , developing only 12 days before parentage , and they are only about the size of a dime bag when bear . They must blindly crawl along the furry terrain of their mother ’s body , seeking a warm teat . Being marsupials intend the youthful are warmly protected in the pocket on the female parent ’s belly , where they stay and nurse for around 100 day .
The Opossum Is Super Clean
possum get rid of more disease and dangers from your garden than they bring in . “ Fastidious ” good describes opossum cleanliness ; part of the grounds check mark and other parasites do n’t survive is because of thoroughgoing grooming wont . They not only evade diseases , such as madness , because they have an remarkably low body temperature , but they also dine on a variety of molder animals ; scavenge up carcass is one of their specialties . What ’s more , possum are somehow resistant to stings and venom from bees , scorpion and snakes , so those potential threats become possum food for thought , as well .
The Opossum Has Super Appendages
Opossums use their prehensile tail like monkeys do — to attend and provide superfluous equipoise — but also like elephant practice their trunks — to carry thing such as eatage to line their dens . They also have a dactyl that ’s like our ovolo on their hind feet called a great toe , which enable agile climbing and grasping .
Opossums Can Emit A Super Stink
opossum do not contend to protect a den , but they might be somewhat territorial . Because they travel with their untried , they are peregrine and can live anywhere — in Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree cavities , underground dens , or nooks and fissure of buildings . To keep their bound localise , opossums communicate to other opossums with signature scent that name their landmarks .
As you might screw , they pretend to be dead when startled , but this is a last hangout . Like most justificatory animals , they might start by hissing , baring their rattling display of tooth or possibly even biting . They also are likely to run aside , retreating submissively . If they get frightened enough , they will go into shock , seize up and excrete a greenish mucus that smells like death . Not to be disconnected withpretendingto be dead , this immobility is a comatose state that can last several hour . Unconscious possum are super vulnerable , so it ’s not a behavior they display unless they have no other pick .
WARNING : Be absolutely sure that an opossum is numb before you bury it on your property or move it to an domain with piranha . Also , be kind enough to swerve if you see what look like a dead phalanger in the road , because it might just be stunned .
The Species Has Its Weaknesses
Despite the awe-inspiring adaptation that have develop since the clip of the dinosaurs ( it is guess that the opossum has been around for 70 million yr ) , the species has its challenges navigating human civilizations . Dining on roadkill , one of its many food seed , shortens an possum ’s lifespan considerably . So does the cold . The phalanger ’s body is not able to put on layer of blubber to isolate it through the winter , so it has to huddle in its hideout ( or your barn ) to survive any temperature below 19 degrees . The rural opossum has a hard time of it , while its urban cousins take reward of the heat island burden of cities .
Opossums are tardily - moving , small - brained , scummy - to - the - soil nocturnal animate being . While those attribute can be reward in not getting noticed , opossum are comparatively susceptible to predators , such as dogs , railcar , hawks and brush wolf .
A mother keep track of her weaned untested communicates through clicking sound , while the immature answer with sneeze speech sound . In an sphere with enceinte strait interference , it would be easy to lose touch with each other .
Males expand their kitchen stove during breeding time of year , and females exsert their foraging meter into daylight minute when they are saddle with carrying their growing young . These multiplication of picture and jeopardy - pickings shorten their lives , and human being who work in wildlife rehabilitation sometimes rescue the young from pocket of beat distaff opossums establish on roads .
All in all , opossum lifespan duo reflect the challenges of their humans , endure normally only one year . If you partake your farm or garden with opossum , make certain your fowl is well - guarantee , and then give these little clean - upper to their dark shift .
