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Northwest Wildlife Online
Order Marsupiala
Family Didelphidae: The Virgina Opossum
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Just one specimen of Order Marsupiala represents wildlife in the Northwest: The Virginia Opossum - Didelphis virginiana
Anyone who thinks that the opossum's first line of defense is to roll over an play dead has not had much experience with this unique, very ancient mammal and is in for a surprise. I've come across quite a few and have even raised several of them. Unlike the meek little actors often portrayed on television, I've found them capable of an impressive, ferocious displays. Little ones have actually bitten me without the slightest hesitation and showed no propensity to act like proper possums. In fact, the only time I have ever seen one play dead is when my dog chomped down on one that was raiding a garbage can on the side of our house. Contrary to my opossum experience up to then, the animal actually did feign death. The trick worked, too. The dog quickly lost interest.
Another exaggerated opossum characteristic is tail hanging. Prehensile and strong though it may be, I have never seen the tail used in this manner and I doubt that it is normal behavior in the wild.
Opossums do have other well known, well documented traits that are no less interesting. Our only American marsupial (pouched) animal, opossums begin life as wriggling peanut sized babies; the smallest baby mammals in North America. Born just twelve days after conception a litter of 5 to 16 crawl from the womb to the mother's pouch and attach themselves to one of just thirteen nipples. First come first served - those searching for nipple number 14 are out of luck. The mother's pouch is visible on the underside of the animal nearer the hind legs.
Sixty days later and about five hundred times their birth size their eyes open. About a month after that they are ready to forage on their own, but continue to cling to the mother in familiar opossum like fashion.
Most possums do not exceed 10 pounds inn weight, even though captive specimens may get considerably larger. (Despite my earlier warning some hand raised possums are actually very docile and seem to enjoy handling.) In color, they are an off white, silvery tone that reflects the origin of their name, an Algonquin Indian word for, you guessed it, "off white."
Although formerly confined to regions east of the Mississippi, Didelphis virginiana, has successfully extended its range across the country thanks to introductions by humans. This subsequent success is not surprising. With the possible exception of the insectivores, opossums have been around for many millions of years, a lot longer than any mammal on earth.
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