What do they look like?

Virginia opossums are about the size of a large house cat. They have a long head with a pointed snout and long whiskers. Their long tails are have little fur and have a scaly appearance. Females have a fur-lined pouch in their belly in which they carry their young while the young are growing. Fur color varies depending on where they live. In northern areas they have thick white underfur with black tips, on top of this fur is a protective coat of hair that is grayish. Southern populations have much less underfur. Both northern and southern populations both have white cheek hairs.

Where in the world do they live?

Virginia opossums are native to the Nearctic and found in North America and Central America. They are the only marsupial that is native to someplace other than the Austrailian region. In the United States Virginia opossums are found on the West Coast and in areas east of the Rocky Mountains. They range south through most of Central America. They are expanding their range northwards and are now found in southern Ontario, Canada. Populations of Virginia opossum found west of the Rocky Mountains in the United States were introduced there by humans, it is not part of their natural range.

What kind of habitat do they need?

Virginia opossums are found in a variety of environments, ranging from relatively dry to more wet environments. They prefer areas of deciduous forest where permanent water is available, especially streams and swamps. Virginia possums also do well in urban and suburban environments.

How do they reproduce?

The mating season for Virginia opossums lasts from January to July. Females mate with only one male. Once the female becomes pregnant, it is only 12-13 days before she gives birth to tiny young that crawl into her pouch and attach themselves to a nipple. Females usually have between 7 and 9 babies per litter, though they can have as many as 13, and will have 1 to 2 litters each year. Young opossums weigh about 0.16 grams at birth. They are attached to the mother's nipple for the first 50 to 65 days of their lives. By 95 to 105 days the young no longer depend on their mother and they leave her to find their own places to live.

How long do they live?

Virginia opossums rarely live for longer than 18 months. The oldest known opossum in the wild was 3 years old when last captured. Although they are preyed upon by several predators, most are killed by cars.

How do they behave?

Virginia opossums are nocturnal animals, which means that they are most active at night. They do not get along well with one another, so while females do tend to live in groups, males fight when they encounter other opossums. Virginia opossums, both male and female, are very aggressive. They will try to scare away threats, but will usually play dead when they come across a more powerful opponent. Opossums usually travel on land but will swim, in some cases, to escape danger. Virginia opossums use their hind feet to clean their fur and wash their faces with their front feet. Females transport young by placing them on their tail and back.

What do they eat?

Virginia opossums are omnivorous with a majority of their diet composed of insects and remains of dead animals. They are also known to eat plants, including fruits and grains in season. Virginia opossums seem immune to rattlesnake venom and actively hunt rattlesnakes.

What eats them and how do they avoid being eaten?

Virginia opossums are well-known for pretending to be dead to avoid being eaten by predators. This is called "playing dead" or "playing possum." When a Virginia opossum thinks that it is being threatened it will go into a catatonic state where it appears to be dead, they go limp and their breathing becomes almost undetectable. They re-awaken when the perceived danger passes.

Virginia opossums are preyed on by predators such as coyotes, foxes, large owls, and hawks. As young they may also be preyed on by snakes and smaller birds of prey, such as falcons. Humans hunt Virginia opossums for food.

What roles do they have in the ecosystem?

As scavengers, Virginia opossums play an important role in the ecosystem by eating foods and garbage that other animals may not. They are important prey items for predators in the areas where they occur.

Do they cause problems?

Sometimes Virginia opossums enter into hen houses. They can also create problems when they raid garbage cans in search of food .

How do they interact with us?

In the southeastern United States, opossums are sometimes hunted for food. Opossums are used as research animals in a variety of laboratories, their fur is used occasionally, and they help to control garden pests.

Are they endangered?

Virginia opossums can live very well in places where humans are. They seem to be increasing the range that they are living in. In the wild, there is about one animal for every ten acres.

Some more information...

When America was first colonized by Europeans, Virginia opossums did not occur north of Pennsylvania. As time passed, they moved north and westward on the Great Plains. In 1890, they were introduced to California and have spread along the west coast. In Michigan they are spreading into the Upper Peninsula.

Contributors

Toni Lynn Newell (author), University of Michigan: May, 2003. Rachel Berg (author), University of Michigan: May, 2003.

References

Baker, R.H. 1983. Michigan Mammals. Michigan State University Press. United States of America.

McManus, J.J. (2 May 1974) "Didelphis virginiana." Mammalian Species. The American Society of Mammalogists, 40.

Hartman, C. 1952. Possums. Austin: University of Texas Press.

Wilson, D., S. Ruff. 1999. The Smithsonian Book of North American Mammals. Washington and London: Smithsonian Institution Press.