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There are more than 60 mintage of possum . The species that many citizenry believe of when hearing about this fauna is the vernacular possum , also screw as Virginia possum . However , these are two dissimilar specie . The common opossum ’s scientific name isDidelphis marsupialis , and the Virginia possum ’s scientific name isDidelphis virginiana .
These type of possum have a conoid - shaped nozzle with a pink pourboire , a long hairless hindquarters , and blanched , grey and black fur . Opossums are the only pouched mammal witness of course in North America .
A common opossum.
Size
opossum are about the sizing of modest dogs . They are about 2.5 feet ( 76 centimeter ) , nose to tail , and weigh 8.8 to 13.2 lbs . ( 4 to 6 kilograms ) , fit in toNational Geographic .
Habitat
The vernacular opossum and Virginia possum are find in the United States , Mexico , Central America , South America and Canada . Though they are n’t fussy about where they hang out , opossums beloved tree diagram and will stick aloft in trees as much as possible . They also prefer area that are wet , like Reginald Marsh , swamps and streams .
Habits
Opossums are nocturnal , which means they are awake at dark and sleep during the day . They spend nights searching for food .
Though they do n’t hibernate , opossum do slow down during the winter . They know in burrows that they fill with ironical leaves or even shredded newspaper publisher , and fat reserves help keep them warm . In the summer , they will bat themselves and insure their pelt in spit to keep cool , according to theAnimal Diversity WWW .
Diet
opossum are known for scavenging though trash . They are omnivores , which means they consume both vegetation and meat , and they are n’t fussy . In the wild , they will crunch on nuts , grass and fruit . They will also hunt insects , mouse , waste birds , snake , worms and crybaby . In the city they will eat roadkill and refuse .
Offspring
Males have forked phallus . It was once think that the reason for this physical feature article was that they spawn with the female person ’s nozzle . It was thought that once the baby were carry , the mother would sneeze the baby into her pouch . This is n’t true . These marsupial breed much like other mammals .
opossum procreate twice a twelvemonth . Once coupling is done , the male person , called a laborer , leaves and does n’t return . After a gestation of just 12 to 13 days , female opossums , called jills , give nativity to up to 20 alive young at a time .
The babies , call joeys , are about the size of jelly bean when they are turn out . They immediately crawl into the female parent ’s pouch to continue developing . Even as the joeys grow older , the female parent will still take them on her back wherever she hold up . They will abide with their female parent for about 100 days . Typically , most of the joeys do n’t survive . Joeys become sexually mature at six to eight month and live for one to two eld .
Classification/taxonomy
Here is the taxonomy of the common phalanger , agree to theIntegrated Taxonomic Information System :
Kingdom : AnimaliaSubkingdom : BilateriaInfrakingdom : DeuterostomiaPhylum : ChordataSubphylum : VertebrataInfraphylum : GnathostomataSuperclass : TetrapodaClass : MammaliaSubclass : TheriaInfraclass : MetatheriaOrder : DidelphimorphiaFamily : DidelphidaeSubfamily : DidelphinaeGenus : DidelphisSpecies : Didelphis marsupialisSubspecies : Didelphis marsupialis caucae , Didelphis marsupialis marsupialis
Conservation status
While some possum are scupper or extinct , the common possum is number as least fear by theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN ) . Its population is listed as stable .
Other facts
Opossums really do run beat . They will flop down and be very still with their natural language hanging out to play a joke on predators . Sometimes this prank will allow possum to get off . dally deadened can last up to six hours , according to ADW .
Like other marsupials , opossums have thumbs , call an opposable hallux , on their paws . These thumb are on the back feet as well as on the front feet . Their tails are greedy and can be used to help them mount and keep back onto tree branches .
Though phalanger will boo at humans , they are rarely aggressive , fit in toThe Humane Society .
opossum are resistant to snake bites , bee bunco and other toxins , accord to theNational Wildlife Federation .
Additional resources
