The Virginia opossum is about the size of a cat. It has two color phases — (1) grayish and (2) blackish ; basal fourth or more of tail black, terminal section whitish; legs and feet blackish, toes often white or whitish.
What does Virginia opossum look like?
Virginia opossums have a long head and pointed snout, rounded naked ears , and a scaly, nearly hairless, prehensile tail that is about half of their total length. Their fore and hind feet have five toes, all with sharp claws except for the clawless, thumblike, opposable innermost toe on the hind feet.
What is the difference between a Virginia opossum and a common opossum?
However, these are two different species. The common opossum’s scientific name is Didelphis marsupialis, and the Virginia opossum’s scientific name is Didelphis virginiana . These types of opossums have a cone-shaped nose with a pink tip, a long hairless tail, and white, gray and black fur.
How big are Virginia opossums?
It has a long, tapered, scaly tail. Each foot has five toes; one toe is opposable. Opossums grow to about 25 to 40 inches in length and weigh four to 14 pounds. Males are usually larger than females.
What colors can possums be?
Typical Opossum Appearance
They are generally gray in color , though their coats may vary from red to brown. The pests also have a somewhat grizzled appearance due to the long, white-tipped guard hairs on their thick fur.
How long does a Virginia Opossum live?
Compared to other mammals, including most other marsupials except dasyuromorphians, opossums have unusually short lifespans for their size and metabolic rate. The Virginia opossum has a maximal lifespan in the wild of only about two years . Even in captivity, opossums live only about four years.
Do opossums carry diseases?
Opossums carry diseases such as leptospirosis, tuberculosis, relapsing fever, tularemia, spotted fever, toxoplasmosis, coccidiosis, trichomoniasis, and Chagas disease . They may also be infested with fleas, ticks, mites, and lice. Opossums are hosts for cat and dog fleas, especially in urban environments.
Why is the O in opossum silent?
People in this region do not usually pronounce the “O” . Possums are native to Australia. When English explorers first met the Australian creature, they thought it looked like the North American Opossum. As a result, they called it a possum and recorded the name like North Americans would pronounce it (without the “O“).
Do you use a or before opossum?
Google Ngrams shows relatively equal frequency of both spellings. It’s pronounced possum most of the time when it’s pronounced, unless it’s being cited in Latin or by reading something. But, either way, if it starts with a pronounced vowel (if the O is pronounced at all) then the article is an; otherwise it’s a.
How old is opossum?
Opossums are very short lived for an animal of their size. In the wild, they survive for only 1 or 2 years . In captivity, however, they live about 3 years on average and can live for as long as 7 years.
Are possums bad to have around the house?
It is important to get rid of possums that are causing havoc in your home, but not all possums are bad . ... It also states that, “Opossums are more beneficial as scavengers, than harmful for any damage they may cause. A neighborhood with opossums tends to be considerably cleaner than a neighborhood without them.”
What do you do if you have a possum in your backyard?
Encourage them to leave by closing the doors to all rooms and opening the doors to the outside. Opossum are usually not aggressive, so you may be able to help them on their way by gently nudging them with a broom .
Do opossums eat cats?
The opossum will eat fresh meat or carrion and is often seen feeding on road kill. Opossums do not prey on cats or other larger mammals but will attack them if cornered, or if competing for food.
How rare is a white possum?
A white opossum is rare , but not unheard of. Your visitor most likely has a condition called leucism, which looks a lot like albinism, but isn’t. ... In animals with albinism, their eyes will appear pink. Albinos are much more rare.
Can Possum see color?
While they have keen night vision, their general vision is weak . In particular, opossums struggle to differentiate colors.
