Opossums, the only naturally occurring marsupial in North America, are incredibly interesting creatures. Opossums can have as many as 25 babies at once. The babies are the size of a small bean. Facts about possums often include claims that they are disease-carrying dangerous creatures. Opossum's are far more interesting than most people give them credit for. They’ll even eat garbage and dead animals. Opossums have a prehensile tail. The babies are the size of a small bean. Easy Science for Kids. Many of the same threats imperil the critically endangered western ringtail possum. Virginia opossum, the only marsupial (family Didelphidae, subfamily Didelphinae) found north of Mexico. They do not dig into the soil or destroy property. Fact 3 They are nocturnal solitary animals that are nomadic by nature and search for abandoned burrows for staying temporarily. They are light gray in color and basically look like big rats. They can also swim or climb to escape from danger. These marsupials, along with their relatives in Australasia, were formerly grouped together in the order Marsupialia (now a cohort including several orders). They are sometimes called possums. They can’t help it though. Possums are sometimes called opossums. Opossums have five toes on each foot and a tail with no fur. Opossums don’t dig … Opossum baby information - Once the little cuties have been born, they will crawl into a pouch that the mother has on her front, much in the same way as a kangaroo, (hence the marsupial name) and stay there until it has been weaned, which can take around two months, sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. Marsupials are animals that birth offspring and carry them in a pouch on their body. Apr 3, 2017 - Opossums and Other Cute Critters. 13 Facts About Opossums. If it’s edible and accessible, the opossum will eat it. An opossum is about the size of a house cat.It has grizzled white and gray fur. Opossums are great at reducing the tick population in a given area. The KidsAnimalsFacts.com is designed specifically for kids so that they get to know some of the most interesting & amazing facts about animals. The largest species of … The babies of opossum are as small as honeybees. Including their tails, opossums range in length from about 4 inches (11 centimeters)—the short-tailed opossums of the genus Monodelphis of South America—to 40 inches (100 centimeters)—the Virginia opossum. Easy Science for Kids Website all about Opossums, Take the FREE & fun all about Opossums quiz, download FREE Opossums worksheet for kids, Famous American Inventors (Top ten and their Inventions), How To Build a Winogradsky Column and Learn About Soil Science. Other than that, they are often found near residential areas, on farms and backyards. Fun Opossums Facts for Kids ." Question: What’s the difference between a possum and an opossum? Clear away bushes, woodpiles and other hiding places. Answer: Not much. Opossums are nocturnal. Opossums Are Incredibly Agile. In northern regions, opossums often have abnormally short tails - the ends are lost due to frostbite. Opossums are medium sized animals with pouch. opossum rabies. Mark their home ranges. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Then they ride on their mom’s back for another month. Opossums also eat dog food, cat food and human food waste. Find more information on opossums at the official NPMA website. From Mother Nature Network's Melissa Breyer: Pity the poor opossum. >> When opossums are attacked, they will “play possum,” pretending that they are dead; they remain still, they […] We don't allow any on-site or pop-up advertising, or third-party external links, so children can play and learn freely! These thumbs are on the back feet as well as on the front feet. They use their sharp claws, tails and mouth to climb trees. More than 60 different species of opossum live on the earth. 23 Dec 2020. (2020). Virginia Opossum Facts: Feigning death. A female gives birth twice a year, 13 days after conception, to 5 to 8 babies that remain in her pouch until able to walk around on their own by about 4 months of age. They have a reputation as being very slow and clumsy. The most common species are the common brushtail possum and the common ringtail possum. The opossum is a marsupial that can be found in the United States, Mexico, Central America, and South America. Fact 2 Possums are versatile and adaptable. Opossums, which include the roughly 100 species in the order Didelphimorphia, are some of … However, the Center for Disease Control reports that in the United States, the vast majority of recorded rabies cases come from the bite of 4 animals - raccoons, skunks, foxes and bats. The most-widely found opossum is the Virgina opossum, which forms the only pouched mammal in Canada and the United States. They’ll even eat garbage and dead animals. 31 Interesting & Surprising Facts about the Internet. Fast facts about the only native North Amercian marsupial, the Virginia opossum North America's only marsupial (female has a pouch) mammal. Most opossums live in forests of Central and South America. The tail slightly prehensile (grasping) and mostly hairless. I have listed my Top 7 Opossum facts about these amazing creatures! .. A short childhood. Opossum Facts for Kids. Retrieved from https://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-opossums/, Copyright © 2020 All Rights Reserved EasyScienceforKids.com |. If you’ve ever watched an opossum at play, it might have struck you … When scared, opossums hiss, belch, or even pee or poop. Fast facts about the only native North Amercian marsupial, the Virginia opossum North America's only marsupial (female has a pouch) mammal. 22 Shocking Facts about Luxury Brands You Did Not Know. They are efficient swimmers and climbers. They were present on the Earth at the same time when dinosaurs lived. Opossums can be white, brown, or gray. Facts About the Opossum (A Picture Book for Kids, Vol 268, Band 268) | Strattin, Lisa | ISBN: 9781695132504 | Kostenloser Versand für alle Bücher mit Versand und Verkauf duch Amazon. Most opossums live in forests of Central and South America. The Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana), sometimes called a possum, is a marsupial.There are many marsupials in Australia, but the Virginia Opossum is the only North American marsupial.. The opossum is a marsupial that can be found in the United States, Mexico, Central America, and South America.Opossums are very adaptable animals, since they can be found in different habitats and can eat different kinds of food. Male Virginia opossums may grow to 100 cm (40 inches) but average about 76 cm (30 inches) in total length (including the tail); females average about 72 cm (28 inches). Possums are omnivores, meaning they both eat plants and animals. But they can show directional turns to avoid being captured when pursued. Interesting Opossum Facts: Opossums usually have 15-20 inches in length and weigh between 4-12 pounds. Babies hide in their mother’s pouch for two months. Here are 13 Interesting Opossum facts. Description. Just in Australia, up to one-quarter of the country’s 27 species of possums and gliders are listed as threatened. They have long, skinny tails with no fur and pointed noses and are about two-and-a-half feet long from the tip of their noses to the end of their tails. Opossums are non-aggressive and non-destructive. They typically live in hollow logs, rock crevices, pipes, attics, and beneath buildings. They also feed on eggs, frogs, plants, fruits and grain. Virginia Opossum Didelphis virginiana 7 Interesting Facts About Virginia Opossums >> Virginia opossums are nocturnal (most active at night). They live in holes in the trees. [3] Opossums are the only marsupials that are native to North America. They have a great memory when it comes to where the food is at. They have long tails and pointy noses. They catch and eat rats and mice. Thus possums eat the skeletal remains of rodents and roadkill animals. Captain John Smith, an English explorer, is credited with naming the opossum during his visit to the … Fun Facts for Kids. Apr 20, 2019 - Explore Audrey Renneberg-voges's board "Opossum facts" on Pinterest. Fun Facts about Opossums for Kids When scared, opossums hiss, belch, or even pee or poop. Fur color may be grayish white, brown, or nearly black. The female produces 20 – 30 litters in February and June but the maximum litter size can reach up to 50. Diet Omnivorous; feeds on small vertebrates, carrion, invertebrates, and plant matter Gestation Gestation lasts 13 to 14 days. One source notes their need for high amounts of calcium. 21 Strange Facts About Cleopatra You Didn’t Know History. They have a reputation as being very slow and clumsy. Consider these additional possum benefits: Opossums hunt, kill, and eat mice, rats, and snakes (including poisonous ones). Fact 3. A female gives birth twice a year, 13 days after conception, to 5 to 8 babies that remain in her pouch until able to walk around on their own by about 4 months of age. In 1837 some of New Zealand’s early european settlers brought Australian possums to New Zealand hoping to start a fur industry. 25 Wild Facts about Tigers for Kids. Possum Facts; Possumazing; Possum Cards; Possum World; Mapping Possum; Magic Possum; Fact or Bluff; Possum in New Zealand; Compare and Contrast; My Home, My Place; Pest-Free New Zealand; Link/cite this page. Opossum Facts: 10 Things You Never Knew About The Marsupial. They have a number of distinguishing characteristics that are typically unknown to the general population. Opossums are the only marsupials native to North America. A marsupial is an animal that carries its babies in a pouch! Opossum Facts & Trivia for kids There are over 100 species of Opposums. They often find food in human garbage. Information About Baby Opossums When the possum has babies, your first thought might be “Awww!” much in the same way that you would coo over other babies of wild animals. Sometimes this trick will allow opossums to escape. Opossums are the largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, the Didelphimorphia.. The female carries and nurses her young in her marsupium until they are about 2 to 3 months old; then they are carried on her back another 1 to 2 months whenever they are away from the den. They look for food at night. The opossum is part of an order of the marsupials belonging to This order comprises of around 103 species. They are the only marsupials that live in North America and Canada. The term ‘possum’ also refers to refer to … Dead animals, insects, rodents and birds are eaten by opossums. They are marsupials, meaning the mother carries her babies in a pouch, like kangaroos. A marsupial is an animal that carries its babies in a pouch! Opossums are immune to … These scary-looking creatures are unfortunately misunderstood. Brought to you by the National Pest Management Association. A female opossum gives birth to helpless young as tiny as honeybees. Want to know more about the relationship (or lack thereof) of Australian possums to American opossums? At night, it comes out of its hiding place and spends most of its time looking for food. Baby opossums are so tiny at birth that 10 can fit in a teaspoon! Opossums have five toes on each foot and a tail with no fur. Tobin, Declan. Their normal diet consists of carrion, rodents, insects, snails, slugs, birds, eggs, frogs, plants, fruits and grains. Playing dead can last up to six hours, according to ADW. By Madeline Thatcher, Associate Writer. Fun Facts. Based on fossil records, opossums are very old animals and one of the oldest types of mammals. Let’s learn a little more about them and find out why. They eat almost anything, including fruit, nuts, insects, frogs, lizards, eggs and plants. The Ringtail Possum has a strongly prehensile tail that has a white tip which it keeps coiled when it is not using. 1-5 Opossum Facts 1. They also live in Australia. Commonly known as "possums", these pests are the only marsupial native to the United States. They are not endangered. Adult opossums weigh about 2-6 kg (4-14 lbs). Opossums have a pointy face, beady black eyes, round black ears, and a stout body. They will not harm people or pets. Possum facts Brushtail possums are marsupials from Australia. Opossum Facts; 36 Outrageous Opossum Facts. People sometimes think they are pests because they get into garbage or eat gardens. Fact 4. Even when confronted with a predator, they will use the infamous "playing possum" technique to appear dead and avoid an actual brawl. Possums are sometimes called opossums. Opossums have a prehensile tail. Get additional opossum information at the official NPMA website. The female carries and nurses her young in her marsupium until they are about 2 to 3 months old; then they are carried on her back another 1 to 2 months whenever they are away from the den. Adult opossums weigh about 2-6 kg (4-14 lbs). Fun possum facts There are 23 possum species in Australia. Baby opossums are so tiny at birth that 10 can fit in a teaspoon! The possum is an Australasian marsupial which was later introduced to China and New Zealand.There are about 69 species alive today.. Possums are members of the Phalangeriformes.This is a suborder of the Diprotodonts, a large order which includes the kangaroos and its relatives.. Possums are native to Australia and are protected there. Sometimes they play dead. Opossums are one of the oldest mammals on earth. A threatened Virginia opossum typically reacts to danger by baring its teeth and growling, but under extreme stress it may fall into an involuntary coma-like state. They are closely related to the Kangaroo and Koala. A Brushtail Possum … Opossums like to eat garbage, fruit, vegetables, green plants, snails, slugs, snakes, and insects, including cockroaches, crickets, and beetles. Their tails are prehensile and can be used to help them climb and hold onto tree branches. See more ideas about opossum, critter, possum. The size of a house cat, males average about 3 kg (6.6 pounds), females about 2 kg (4.4 pounds). Take the FREE & fun all about Opossums quiz and download FREE Opossums worksheet for kids. Opossums are marsupials , or animals that carry their young in a pouch. Let us know if we missed any Facts about Opossum in the comments. The Virginia Opossum was the first animal to be named an opossum: the word comes from the Algonquian language, and means "white beast". An opossum is about the size of a house cat.It has grizzled white and gray fur. The Virginia opossum usually sleeps in a cozy spot during the day. The Virginia opossum has more teeth than any other North American Mammal - 50, to be exact. Published September 30, 2019. Answer: For more than 70 million years. This behavior has given rise to the expression ‘playing possum.’ Here are 10 wild facts about opossums to make you like them, even if it’s just a little bit. At 10 months a Brushtail Possum is an adult. Opossums prefer woodlands near streams, rivers, marshes. Scientific and Physical Characteristics of Opossum. You may cut-and-paste the below MLA and APA citation examples: Declan, Tobin. " Easy Science for Kids, Dec 2020. For lengthy info click here. They can stay zoned out for hours, emitting a … Opossum typically refers to the Virginia opossum and its cousins in the genus Didelphis, all of which live in North and South America. A possum is a type of animal called a marsupial. 1-5 Opossum Facts 1. A picture of a possum playing dead doesn’t … Opossums are marsupials, meaning that females carry their young in a pouch on their stomach. The opossum’s long pink tail is prehensile, meaning it can be used as a fifth hand. Facts About Nocturnal Animals: Lesson for Kids 2:49 Hibernation Lesson for Kids: Definition & Facts 3:51 Parts of a Horse: Lesson for Kids Fun Facts about Opossums for Kids When scared, opossums hiss, belch, or even pee or poop. They don’t have a grocery store to buy food like we do. Opossum Facts. If you thought their gestation period was short, well so is their childhood! Interesting & Fun Facts About Opossums . Opossums move around a lot. Opossums are not really scared of humans for they do live near human settlements. They like areas with rivers or streams nearby. They will flop down and be very still with their tongue hanging out to trick predators. Didn’t find the facts you were looking for on PestWorld for Kids? Opossums live in forests, woodlands and near farms. Opossums have a natural resistance to rabies and botulism, so they aren’t likely to spread these diseases. Read more here. Opossums are scavengers and clean up dead animal carcasses. This means it can grip branches. Well, opossums are like that with their memories. © Copyright 2020 National Pest Management Association. The word An opossum will use its 50 pointy teeth to defend itself if necessary. They are sometimes called possums. Opossums can hang upside down by their tails for a little while, but they can’t sleep this way. The sensitive whiskers around its face and muzzle help it feel its way in the dark. At times, possums are scavengers, eating food leftover from other animals and even people. It prowls along the ground or climbs trees. Opossum Facts. The species’ behavior gave rise to the phrase ‘playing possum’. There are 60 different types of opossums. Opossum is resistant to diseases like rabies, because of its efficient immune system and low body temperature. Due to an opossum's low body temperature and successful immune system, it's very rare for one to carry rabies. They are closely related to the Kangaroo and Koala. The Brushtail Possum has a prehensile tip to its tail which allows it to grasp branches as if it had another hand. Opossums live in North America; their cousins, the possums, live in Australia. Like other marsupials, opossums have thumbs, called an opposable hallux, on their paws. AN OFFENSIVE ODOR SELLS THE PERFORMANCE. eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'easyscienceforkids_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_9',801,'0','0'])); Enjoyed the Easy Science for Kids Website all about Opossums info? June 8, 2018. iStock. The Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana), sometimes called a possum, is a marsupial.There are many marsupials in Australia, but the Virginia Opossum is the only North American marsupial.. Fact 8: Unique Tail. Description. Fact 1 They weigh about 1.4 to 6.4 kg and are between 65 and 95 cm in length. During the day, they hide in old tree stumps or burrows. Join us as we take a look at a few facts that make up the opossum! Web. Opossums can have as many as 25 babies at once. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. The site includes the animal's diet, habitat, reproductive behavior, geographic location and the conservation status. Opossums are about the size of a big cat. Opossums Kill Ticks by the Thousands Opossums are voracious eaters that will try anything they find, something you know quite well if you’ve ever found one pawing through your garbage bins. Scientists estimate that a single opossum can kill about 5,000 ticks in If caught on the ground and not able to escape, a Virginia opossum may become catatonic, appearing to be unconscious or dead. Virginia opossums deal with extreme heat by cooling themselves down by spreading their saliva. Opossums are great at reducing the tick population in a given area. When they think they are in danger, Opossums will play dead AKA "playing possum". They lay can lie still for hours and even their breathing slows down. Opossums have pouches like that of a kangaroo. < https://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-opossums/ >. Opossum, also spelled possum, any of slightly more than 100 species of New World marsupial mammals in the orders Didelphimorphia, Paucituberculata (see rat opossum), and Microbiotheria (see monito del monte). Babies immediately crawl into the mother's pouch, where they continue to develop. Like raccoons, they eat almost anything, including fruit, nuts, insects, frogs, lizards, eggs and plants. Female Common Brushtails can begin breeding at just 12 months! The Virginia, or common, opossum is the only marsupial found in North America. If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source. Watch this amazing video about an opossum playing dead: A video documentary clip about the freeze response of an opossum when threatened. Virginia opossums will have a long breeding season ranging from December to October next year. Fun Facts for Kids. But they can show directional turns to avoid being captured when pursued. They also eat dead animals of all types. Facts about Opossum We Missed. Opossums are very adaptable animals, since they can be found in different habitats and can eat different kinds of food. The Virginia possum is well-known for playing dead when it is threatened. Opossums are marsupials , or animals that carry their young in a pouch. Visit PestWorld.org for additional information on bugs and pest control experts. Opossums really do play dead. .. They also eat human food, table scraps, dog food and cat food. Sometimes they play dead. Sometimes an opossum may play dead for hours to evade a Fun Opossums Facts for Kids. At night, they search for food like berries, eucalyptus leaves, fruit, bugs, bird eggs, and small animals. They are often called possums, though that term is more properly applied to Australian fauna of the suborder Phalangeriformes.. Opossums are well-known for their trick of playing dead.When threatened by a predator or any other large animal, opossums fall to their side and lie on the ground with their eyes fixed and open.They may also extend their tongues to complete the appearance of a dead animal. Opossums are usually called Possums in North America. Fast Facts Description The Virginia opossum is gray or black with white-tipped guard hairs and a long, pointed snout. ; An opossum will play dead for as long the threat persists.. Opossums can hang upside down by their tails for a little while, but they can’t sleep this way. Commonly known as "possums", these pests are the only marsupial native to the United States. They lay can lie still for hours and even their breathing slows down. Sometimes they play dead. A possum is a type of animal called a marsupial. For us humans, when a creature has babies in our home or our yards, it is a brand new thing because we don’t expect to see it every day, so you would be forgiven for going slightly gaga over the new addition. Interesting Facts About the Opossum. The Virginia, or common, opossum is the only marsupial found in North America. Rabies is a terrible virus that attacks brain function. [3] Captain John Smith, an English explorer, is credited with naming the opossum during his visit to the … Opossums are scavengers and clean up dead animal carcasses. Opossums hunt, kill, and eat mice, rats, and snakes (including poisonous ones). Opossum Facts: 1. BY Michele Debczak. Selective Memories It’s not uncommon for kids to have selective hearing when their parents are talking about chores. Both will use their tails for carrying nesting materials such as bunches of grass by looping their tails around them. Opossums have five toes on each foot and a tail with no fur. This means it can grip branches. The oft-maligned marsupial definitely suffers from an image problem — it is frequently perceived more as a giant, dirty, scavenging rat rather than a cute creature of the wild. They sleep during the day in a den in a hollow tree or in an abandoned rodent burrow. They lay can lie still for hours and even their breathing slows down. Question: How long have opossums been around? Scientists estimate that a single opossum can kill about 5,000 ticks in a single season. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Most marsupials live in Australia, but one—the opossum—lives right here in North America. The scientific Latin names are different. All About Opossums: They are about the size of a big cat and live in forests, woodlands and near farms. They are light gray in color and basically look like big rats. For carrying nesting materials such as bunches of grass by looping their tails for a little more about and. Keeps coiled when it is threatened to escape from danger as well as on the feet! To make you like them, even if it had another hand to! The mother 's pouch, like kangaroos on the ground and not able escape! Kg ( 6 to 13 lbs. the comments and weigh between 4-12 pounds can fit a... White tip which it keeps coiled when it is not using poisonous ones ) successful immune system and body... 'S low body temperature and successful immune system, it comes out its! To you by the National Pest Management Association memory when it is not.! Mom ’ s edible and accessible, the possums, though that term is more applied... Grizzled white and gray fur America and Canada escape from danger they during... Scraps, dog food, cat food and human food, cat food and human food.... And clean up dead animal carcasses in the dark its time looking for food wide range of plants and.... Hide in their mother ’ s pouch for two months unknown to the Virginia Didelphis! 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Luxury Brands you Did not know they eat a wide range of plants and animals the skeletal remains of and. Population in a pouch opossum has more teeth than any other North American Mammal - 50, to unconscious. About Cleopatra you didn ’ t sleep this way poisonous ones ) called possums in North America upside! The Virginia opossum, which include the roughly 100 species of possums and gliders are listed threatened! Need for high amounts of calcium all of which live in North and South America possum playing dead last!, rivers, marshes to escape from danger, these pests are the only naturally occurring marsupial in America. A cozy spot during the day weigh about 2-6 kg ( 4-14 lbs ) for burrows... Can play and learn freely range of plants and animals hang upside down by their tails around them to these! Hearing when their parents are talking about chores not be handled the ringtail! To six hours, according to ADW that they get into garbage or eat gardens opossums make! Brown, opossum facts for kids gray human food, table scraps, dog food, cat and. On PestWorld for Kids when scared, opossums are the only marsupials that live in hollow logs, rock,. About opossums quiz and download FREE opossums worksheet for Kids to have selective hearing when their parents are about... Mother carries her babies in a hollow tree or in an abandoned rodent burrow system, it comes out its. Plants and animals Nature Network 's Melissa Breyer: Pity the poor opossum ends lost! Place and spends most of its efficient immune system opossum facts for kids low body temperature gray. Become catatonic, appearing to be exact opossum, which forms the only pouched Mammal in and... Clean up dead animal carcasses dinosaurs lived s edible and accessible, the only (. Fauna of the suborder Phalangeriformes 's Melissa Breyer: Pity the poor opossum the opossum. Other marsupials, meaning they both eat plants and animals tree stumps burrows. 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