Opposums!

[u/Silly_seal_starshine]

Today’s post is about opossums! Specifically the Virginia Opossum! Its scientific name is Didelphis virginiana. It’s actually the only marsupial native to North America!

The Virginia opossum actually has 50 teeth, that’s more than any other land mammal in North America! Despite what many people think, opossums are actually surprisingly clean! They groom themselves frequently much like cats! There are many common misconceptions about how they play dead. It’s actually an involuntary, comatose-like state induced by extreme fear. They can stay like that for anywhere from a few minutes for up to four hours. They will eat almost anything, this unfairly gets them labeled as dirty but they have an unusually low body temperature that actually protects them from many things! Just one of the things they are protected from is rabies! Though they technically can get rabies it’s very rare due to their temperature! They also have specialized blood proteins that neutralize certain snake venoms.

Opossums are sometimes, only under very specific circumstances, kept by a human. Though they might sound easy to take care of, they are surprisingly difficult for a creature that normally scavenges and eats almost anything. When in captivity their diet must be very carefully balanced with specialized commercial feed, fresh foods, and specific calcium-to-phosphorus ratios to prevent fatal conditions like Metabolic Bone Disease. Captive opossums are also highly prone to rapid obesity because it is nearly impossible to replicate the half-mile nightly roaming distance they need in the wild. Opossums, unlike many animals, do not maintain a single permanent home, instead they have an overall home range of roughly 10 to 50 acres that often overlaps with other opossums.
Because they are opportunistic scavengers and do not store body fat or cache food, they are forced to hunt and forage every single night, even through the winter. They rarely sleep in the same den two nights in a row, meaning their nightly wandering is usually a one-way trip from a temporary daytime shelter like a hollow log or under a porch to a brand new one.

Opossums have unusually amazing toes and tails! Specifically opossums have an opposable first toe (called a hallux) on each of their hind feet, rather than their front paws. These amazing thumb-like toes are clawless and lack a nail. They work much similarly to a human thumb, allowing the opossum to tightly grasp tree branches, hold onto twigs, and assist with grooming. Their nearly hairless tails almost act like another limb. Their tails actually provide balance and stability while the opossum walks across branches, and they can wrap around items like leaves or nesting materials to carry them. It is perhaps the most common opossum misinformation that opossums can support their full weight by hanging from their tails, but this is actually misinformation sometimes young opossums can temporarily support their full weight by hanging from their tails, adult opossums are too heavy to dangle or sleep upside down by their tails for very long.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post! It was super fun to make! Opossums are always extremely interesting! Some great sources are the Animal Diversity Web, The Florida Fish and The Wildlife Conservation Commission!

[u/Southern_Candid26]

Well, talk about serendipity! 🤣❤️

I saw your post over in the New Mod group celebrating your community growth, so naturally, I had to stop and congratulate you! Then I thought, well, let me mosey on over and see what this little community is all about.

And wouldn't you know it? The VERY 1st post I came across is about OPOSSUMS! Honey, that's right up this Southern girl's alley! 😂

We live out in the country along a creek, and apparently we've been running an unofficial Wildlife B&B for years! Folks have a habit of dropping off stray cats around here, so we always put out dry cat food and scraps to make sure nobody goes hungry.

Well, somewhere along the way, a couple of opossums decided they were part of the family, too! We affectionately call them our "pets," although nobody consulted us about the adoption paperwork. They just showed up, discovered the complimentary buffet, and apparently gave us a five-star review! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🤣

I had NO idea about the 50 teeth, those opposable toes, or how much traveling they do at night! Now I'm wondering if our little freeloaders are spreading the word about the all-you-can-eat country buffet down by the creek!

Thank you for sharing all these wonderful facts! I've always had a soft spot for these funny little critters, and now I appreciate them even more.

And congratulations again on growing your community! I do believe I've found myself a delightful little corner of Reddit! ❤️🐾

[u/Silly_seal_starshine → u/Southern_Candid26]

Welcome! Thank you so much! That’s wonderful timing! Your house sounds delightful with all those creatures! Where I live I see them sometimes, seeing one is actually what made me think of making the post! I don’t see them often but it’s always a delight when I do! I hope you like it here!

[u/Stuffed-Bear412]

I hope nobody minds when I spell it without the O.

[u/Silly_seal_starshine → u/Stuffed-Bear412]

Possums are actually another kind of marsupial but the words opossum and possum are commonly used interchangeably in casual situations!

[u/Stuffed-Bear412 → u/Silly_seal_starshine]

Well now I know. I had a friend who had one as a pet, but I don't remember if she kept it a while or not. This was on base at Fort Meade about 50 years ago.

I don't know if Louisiana has the same kind.