Possums of the World
Created | Updated Apr 6, 2002
Possums, (as some Northerners, and maybe Europeans may not know) are the only marsupial native to North America, frequenting especially the area from West Virginia through South Carolina. Despite this claim to fame, they are fairly unknown animals to much of the public, except in jokes about roadkill. For those aforementioned Northerners and Europeans who may never have seen a live possum, a possum bears a great similarity to rodents, it looks much like a giant piebald rat. Their front and hind feet are adapted for grasping tree limbs, and look much like human hands. A stripe of dark brown-to black fur runs along the possum's back, and fur of similar color covers the legs on and above the feet. Possums have long, bald, prehensile tails for hanging from tree branches.
The possum, when confronted by another animal, will hiss, bare its fang-like teeth, or play dead. Contrary to its fierce act, it will not bite you, unless you place your hand directly into its mouth. The possum's diet consists of smaller animals, such as baby birds and rodents, and dead animals. It is mainly a scavenger, and does not hunt often.
Female possums keep their young in a pouch on the belly for several weeks. The young start out the size of kidney beans, and the female can keep about a dozen young, sometimes more, at once. The male possum dies after mating.
Possums, as they age, become blind, and fall easy prey to cats, dogs, and automobiles. A possum lives for about two years. They cannot be domesticated, as they are far too stupid. A possum's brain is about the size of a kidney bean.
Possums are found in other parts of the world. A black-furred possum, with a shorter snout and fur-covered tail lives in Australia, as does the Sugar Glider, a type of tiny, flying possum with two dark stripes on its head and flaps of skin between the front and back legs to create wings. It is much more popular as a pet than the North American variety.
The possum, when confronted by another animal, will hiss, bare its fang-like teeth, or play dead. Contrary to its fierce act, it will not bite you, unless you place your hand directly into its mouth. The possum's diet consists of smaller animals, such as baby birds and rodents, and dead animals. It is mainly a scavenger, and does not hunt often.
Female possums keep their young in a pouch on the belly for several weeks. The young start out the size of kidney beans, and the female can keep about a dozen young, sometimes more, at once. The male possum dies after mating.
Possums, as they age, become blind, and fall easy prey to cats, dogs, and automobiles. A possum lives for about two years. They cannot be domesticated, as they are far too stupid. A possum's brain is about the size of a kidney bean.
Possums are found in other parts of the world. A black-furred possum, with a shorter snout and fur-covered tail lives in Australia, as does the Sugar Glider, a type of tiny, flying possum with two dark stripes on its head and flaps of skin between the front and back legs to create wings. It is much more popular as a pet than the North American variety.
