Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley

There are a lot of opossums around here. We see them so often that we get in the habit of taking them for granted, but they really are amazing creatures, unique in many different ways.

The Virginia opossum is one of the world’s oldest mammals, and has evolved relatively little over time. It is the only marsupial found in North America. The female carries her young in a pouch, just like her Australian cousins the kangaroo, the koala, and the wombat. This pouch is so well-designed that babies (or joeys) often survive when their mother is hit by a car. If you see an opossum by the side of the road between March and September, check to see if it’s a female with babies in its pouch.

The defense mechanisms an opossum employs are fascinating. We all know the term “playing possum” and this is something that opossums will do in the most hazardous situations. They will slow down both their heart rate and their breathing so that they appear dead to potential predators, and then “wake up” once an attacker has lost interest and roamed away.

However, playing possum is a last resort. One of the first defenses an opossum will try is simply opening its mouth. The opossum is quite a non-aggressive animal, but a look at its 50 razor sharp teeth – more teeth than any other mammal – suggests otherwise. If the teeth don’t ward off an attacker, the opossum may try drooling and blowing bubbles through its nose to appear diseased and unappetizing.

It doesn’t take much digging to find more incredible facts about opossums. For example, they are born about the size of a honeybee, and grow to the size of an average adult house cat. They have a prehensile tail that assists them in climbing and they are excellent swimmers. The airtight pouches keep babies safe and dry as their mothers swim.

I know the next time I see an opossum, which will no doubt be soon, I will pause to contemplate the ancient animal before going on my way.