About Opossum: Appearance, Biology, Life Cycle, Habitat, Diet, and Behavior
Opossums, unique pouched mammals or marsupials, are considered as successful survivors and settlers in varied conditions and locations. They are prevalent and, even sometimes sought after as sustenance, particularly within the southern part of the United States of America.
Appearance
A marsupial of American origin, the opossum has a tail similar to that of a rat and posterior feet having a upturned thumb without claws. On the average, it is two and a half feet or 76 centimeters in length from nose to tail. Its average weight is five kilograms or around 11 pounds.
Most of them have elongated snouts, a tapered skull, besides a protruding head Compared to other mammals, …show more content…
The babies right away crawl in the pouch of the mother, where they keep on developing. After an average of 98 days, they can freely move around and even sometimes stay on the back of their mother as she looks for foodstuff.
Opossums deliver a maximum of 20 offspring in a family, but less than 50% survive. Some cannot even live long enough to transfer to the pocket of the mother. Their lifespan remains strangely short compared to an animal having the same size. An opossum life usually lasts for an average of three years.
Habitat
There are greater than 60 diverse opossum species, often known as possums. The highly distinguished is the common or Virginia opossum, the solitary marsupial found within Canada and America. Usually nomadic and solitary, opossums stay in an area provided that water and food are available without difficulty.
Some will band together inside ready-made tunnels or under homes. Opossums similarly live in tree pits or dens created by animals. Though they temporarily live in abandoned holes, opossums do not burrow or exert much work in building their homes. As night-time animals, they like dark, safe areas below or above the ground. …show more content…
When frightened by bobcats, canines or foxes, opossums flop on their right or left sides on the floor with shut eyes or openly staring fixed into the heavens. They lengthen their tongues to look dead.
This deception puts a killer off guard, besides allowing the opossum to escape. Playing possum is a physiological involuntary response of all opossums. Like passing out cold, it is never a mindful act for them, except for infant opossums. This is because the brain of baby opossums are not yet fully developed and, thus, incapable of reacting at the proper moment.
For adult opossums, however, they typically recover consciousness after three hours more or less. The awakening process begins with the slight trembling of the earlobes. In addition, opossums exists as excellent climbers of trees and devote much time in tree branches.
Their sharp talons makes this possible as it can dig into wood, while their long gripping tail serves as an additional limb. The opossum utilizes its tail by way of a support and fifth extremity when scaling. On the other hand, the tail stays occasionally utilized as a grasp to bring bunches of foliage or bed materials towards the nesting
Opossums, unique pouched mammals or marsupials, are considered as successful survivors and settlers in varied conditions and locations. They are prevalent and, even sometimes sought after as sustenance, particularly within the southern part of the United States of America.
Appearance
A marsupial of American origin, the opossum has a tail similar to that of a rat and posterior feet having a upturned thumb without claws. On the average, it is two and a half feet or 76 centimeters in length from nose to tail. Its average weight is five kilograms or around 11 pounds.
Most of them have elongated snouts, a tapered skull, besides a protruding head Compared to other mammals, …show more content…
The babies right away crawl in the pouch of the mother, where they keep on developing. After an average of 98 days, they can freely move around and even sometimes stay on the back of their mother as she looks for foodstuff.
Opossums deliver a maximum of 20 offspring in a family, but less than 50% survive. Some cannot even live long enough to transfer to the pocket of the mother. Their lifespan remains strangely short compared to an animal having the same size. An opossum life usually lasts for an average of three years.
Habitat
There are greater than 60 diverse opossum species, often known as possums. The highly distinguished is the common or Virginia opossum, the solitary marsupial found within Canada and America. Usually nomadic and solitary, opossums stay in an area provided that water and food are available without difficulty.
Some will band together inside ready-made tunnels or under homes. Opossums similarly live in tree pits or dens created by animals. Though they temporarily live in abandoned holes, opossums do not burrow or exert much work in building their homes. As night-time animals, they like dark, safe areas below or above the ground. …show more content…
When frightened by bobcats, canines or foxes, opossums flop on their right or left sides on the floor with shut eyes or openly staring fixed into the heavens. They lengthen their tongues to look dead.
This deception puts a killer off guard, besides allowing the opossum to escape. Playing possum is a physiological involuntary response of all opossums. Like passing out cold, it is never a mindful act for them, except for infant opossums. This is because the brain of baby opossums are not yet fully developed and, thus, incapable of reacting at the proper moment.
For adult opossums, however, they typically recover consciousness after three hours more or less. The awakening process begins with the slight trembling of the earlobes. In addition, opossums exists as excellent climbers of trees and devote much time in tree branches.
Their sharp talons makes this possible as it can dig into wood, while their long gripping tail serves as an additional limb. The opossum utilizes its tail by way of a support and fifth extremity when scaling. On the other hand, the tail stays occasionally utilized as a grasp to bring bunches of foliage or bed materials towards the nesting