The opossum is not a rodent. It is a marsupial, or "pouched" mammal,
like the kangaroo and koala. They are the only marsupial in North
America.
The opossum does not hang upside down by the tail. However, it has a
prehensile tail (like a monkey) and can wrap it around objects to
help it climb.
The opossum has 50 teeth, more than any North American land mammal,
however opossums are generally not dangerous. Their only defense is
to play dead (known as playing opossum).
"Playing possum" is an involuntary neurolgical response that
actually paralyzes the animal. It isn't just an act.
Because they have a lower body temperature than other mammals, they
rarely contract rabies.
Oposums also are imune to snake venoms.
They are nocturnal (awake at night and sleep during the day).
Opossums are born after an 11-13 day gestation period. The pink,
embryonic-looking infants are so small at birth that 20 could fit
into a teaspoon (smaller than a Jelly Bean).
As adults they weigh 4-15pounds.
They are adults in 4 months. In the wild, they live about 2 years.
Opossums have two main color variants; dark phase and light phase.
Dark phase possums are characterized by a dark gray, almost black
coloration while light phase possums are a light gray color.
Although they are called light and dark "phase" they do not change
colors, and often litters will have both phases.
Opossums are omnivorous (eating both animal and plant foods). They
are also scavengers. In the wild their diet includes all types of
bugs and insects including cockroaches, crickets and beetles. They
also eat snails, worms, mice, rats, berries, and eggs.
Their predator enemies are owls, hawks, bobcats, coyotes, and
neighborhood dogs. They also often get killed by cars when
scavenging road kill.
Although they eat seemingly anything, they do not make good pets because they are susceptible to
metabolic bone disease and require specialized nutrition.
If you find an injured or orphaned possum please contact a wildlife rehabilitator
who can care for their special needs and help them return to the wild.