Playing possum

Here's a picture of our "mascot" the as-yet-unnamed-possum who shows up from time to time in search of food at Hennen Conservation Area.

This is one of those critters that people either hate or find adorable, so I decided to look up a few facts about possums.

First, I want to clear up a misconception that they are viscious. While they may show their many sharp teeth when frightened, they are actually very shy and just want to be left alone -- they are not aggressive. In fact, when attacked, they will often just role over and "play dead," which is where the term "playing possum" comes from. There are lots of stories out there of dogs carrying "dead" possums back to their owners, only to have the possum walk away as soon as the dog is distracted!

Opossums are the only North American marsupial, females carrying and feeding her young in a pouch (marsupium) for 2-3 months, and then carrying the young on her back for another couple of months. (If you are wondering what a marsupial is, think of the most well recognized marsupial, the kangaroo!)

They are comfortable living in trees, and their furless tail is prehensile, helping them climb. But don't believe the rumors that they hang upside down from their tails! The tail is really more like another arm, providing stability.

Opossums are omnivores, meaning they eat a little bit of everything -- insects, berries, grass, vegetables, etc. Note, if you leave a bowl of cat or dog food outside at night, and it is empty in the morning, it might have been a possum who cleaned it out. They are nocturnal, so generally not seen during the day.

They are one of the shortest-lived mammals, typically surviving only 2-4 years. They are killed by larger critters like dogs & owls, and are a frequent casualty of cars while crossing roads at night. They are slow moving, so don't have the ability to rush across the road when a car comes - they either freeze, or continue moving ahead slowly.

I hope this provides you with some appreciation for this gentle animal that is just trying to get by!

The information in this post was found through the National Opossum Society's website: http://www.opossum.org/