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 cousin the kangaroo. Like the kangaroo, their young are born as embryos and make their way to a pouch on the stomach where they continue to develop. 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. When they are four or five inches long, they start leaving the pouch to ride on their mother’s back. When they have reached seven to eight inches body length, they leave the parent to make their own way in the world.

The defense mechanisms an opossum employs are fascinating. We all know the term “playing possum”. 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 or moved on.

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.

Opossums 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.

Opossums are nocturnal, roaming at night, and looking for a dark, secluded place to sleep during the daylight hours. They are scavengers and eat anything. Since opossums are quiet and rarely cause damage, most people are unaware that they are around. Pet food left out at night often attracts them to our yards. Opossums are quite beneficial to us by eating mice, rats, snails, slugs and insects.