Opossum: description, photo, reproduction, habitat

Wild animals
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Mammals

It is difficult to imagine that such an unusual, slightly funny, small marsupial animal like the opossum is one of the oldest animals that has survived to this day, practically unchanged in appearance. Many fell in love with them after the release of the animated film “Ice Age,” where two funny possums Eddie and Crash got into various exciting adventures, which were followed by millions of people around the planet. Let's try to understand in more detail the history and life activity of this furry animal.

Origin of the species and description

Photo: Possum

The possum family is a class of marsupial mammals that inhabit mainly the American continent (both South and North America). These are one of the oldest inhabitants of the Earth, having survived to this day since the Cretaceous period. It is noteworthy that since those distant times the animals have not changed at all in their appearance, so to speak, they have been preserved in their original form.

As for America, scientists have found that opossums originally inhabited only the South American continent. Later, when the so-called bridge between the two Americas arose, many species of all kinds of animals from North America began to migrate to South America, which led to a huge death of marsupials in South America. Of course, not all types of possums have survived, but the good news is that at least some have survived to our times and managed to perfectly adapt to new living conditions.

Video: Possum

In addition to the fact that these small animals managed to survive and adapt to changes, they themselves spread throughout North America almost to Canada. When studying the origin of these animals, you should definitely pay attention to excavation data, which tells us that once, in ancient times, possums inhabited Europe.

If we delve not into the most ancient history, but into the one that is accessible to man, then one of the first mentions of the opossum was made in the book of the Spanish geographer, priest and historian Pedro Cies de Leon back in 1553, this work is called “Chronicle of Peru”. In it, the Spaniard described a small animal still unknown to him, which resembled a fox, had a long tail, small paws and brownish fur.

The closest relatives of possums from America are the rat possums. As already noted, there are many varieties of possums, they are different in appearance and inhabit a variety of territories.

Let's describe some of them:

The common opossum is quite large, its weight can reach up to 6 kg. The animal loves forest areas located along the banks of various bodies of water, feasts on cereals, lizards, and eats various insects and mushrooms;
The Virginia opossum is also large in size (up to 6 kg), loves forests with high humidity, but also lives on the prairies. Eats small rodents, birds, bird eggs, young rabbits;
The water possum naturally lives near the water, eats fish, crayfish, and shrimp, catching its dinner right on the water. Sometimes enjoy fruit. It is not as prolific as other species of its family;
The mouse opossum is very small. Its length is about 15 cm. It loves mountain forests (up to 2.5 km in height). Eats insects, bird eggs and all kinds of fruits;
The gray naked-tailed opossum is very miniature, its weight is just over one hundred grams, and its length is from 12 to 16 cm. It prefers flat terrain, densely covered with small grass, and likes to be adjacent to human habitation;
The Patagonian opossum is very tiny, weighing only about 50 grams. Its main diet is insects.

Of course, there are other varieties of possums besides those listed.

Opossum as a pet

The opossum can be kept at home as a pet. But exotic lovers should be disappointed. These are nocturnal animals and it will be very difficult to accustom them to the human daily routine. You should feed him fresh food: fruits, chicken, insects, worms. You should absolutely not feed them fatty meats, as this can make them sick. If you get a pair of possums, then they need to be kept in separate cages, otherwise fights and conflicts are inevitable. Possums should never be punished as they can bite seriously.

Appearance and features

Photo: Possum animal

We found out that there are different types of opossums in nature, so we will consider the characteristic external signs and features of this animal using the example of an ordinary opossum. The dimensions of this animal are small, it reaches a length of about 60 cm, females are 10 centimeters smaller. In general, the opossum is similar in size to an ordinary adult cat. His muzzle is pointed and elongated.

The tail of the animal is powerful, bare, not covered with hair, and at the base it is much thicker. With its help, the opossum hangs on branches when sleeping or moving in the crown of trees. The opossum's coat is not long, but thickly padded and dense.

The color of the animals varies depending on their species and habitat, so possums can be:

Dark gray;
Brownish-gray;
Brown;
Light gray;
Black;
Beige.

If we talk about the common opossum, then its fur is gray with whitish streaks, and its head is lighter, on which beady black eyes and rounded ears stand out. The animal has five-fingered paws, each toe has a sharp claw. The animal's jaws indicate its primitiveness. The opossum has 50 teeth, 4 of them are fangs, their structure and location are similar to the structure of the teeth of ancient mammals.

A characteristic feature of the animal is the presence of a pouch in which it carries its cubs, because they are born prematurely, and in it they grow up and become stronger. The bursa is a fold of skin that opens towards the tail. It is interesting that some varieties of opossums lack a pouch, i.e. are marsupials, and the cubs hang on the mother's breast until they gain independence.

Short description

An opossum is a small mammal of the marsupial order . Currently, their natural habitat is almost the entire territory of the New World, although, as archaeological excavations confirm, ancient opossums lived in Europe, and, by the way, their structure has remained virtually unchanged since then.

There are many types of possums, some of them are very small (for example, the Chacoesian graceful possum weighs no more than 40 g), others are much larger. The lifestyle of different species of these marsupials also varies greatly: some of them live in the forest in trees, others live in the steppe or even semi-desert in burrows, and still others spend half their lives in water.

Important! The opossum should not be confused with another marsupial mammal that has a very similar name, the possum. Both can be kept as pets, but they look completely different. The possum is native to Australia, Indonesia and New Guinea, while the possum's range is both parts of the American continent.

Virginia opossums are usually used as pets ; they are no smaller in size than an ordinary cat: the weight of such an animal ranges from one and a half to six kilograms, the body length is about half a meter and the same amount - a thin rat tail with a noticeable thickening at the base, where fat reserves are deposited.

The structure of the tail allows the animal to use it as support and balance when climbing trees. The sizes of males and females are very different: boys are noticeably larger and more powerful.

A characteristic feature of the animal is its elongated muzzle (to some it resembles a fox, to others it is more likely associated with a rat) with long locator mustaches. The ears are small, there is no hair on them, as well as on the tail. The tips of the ears are lighter. The body of the animal is covered with thick fur with short soft undercoat.

It is usually grayish in color, but, depending on the region where it lives, black and almost white possums are also found (the animal's muzzle, however, is always white). The quality of fur also depends on living conditions: northern possums have thicker and, accordingly, lighter fur, while southern ones have less frequent and darker fur. The skin on the ears and tail has the same differences in color.

Did you know? Opossum fur is highly prized. Its structure can be compared to the skin of a polar bear; the hollow fibers inside retain heat well. In addition, such fur lends itself well to dressing and looks very beautiful (they say that in the hands of a good furrier, a fur coat made from possum fur looks no worse than sable). However, products made from such fur do not last long, and therefore their price is relatively low.

In general, the opossum gives the impression of a very cute and fluffy creature that you just want to cuddle and pet. And, by the way, a tamed animal responds very gratefully to such treatment, which is why keeping it at home has become so popular.

Where does the opossum live?

Photo: Great Possum

Nowadays, opossums have retained their permanent residence only in the New World, although previously they were widespread throughout Europe, as evidenced by paleontological excavations. Opossums settled throughout the territories of both Americas (North and South). Recently, zoological scientists have noticed that their permanent habitat is moving much further north, reaching the southeastern part of Canada and the Lesser Antilles.

Opossums prefer forests, steppes, and semi-desert areas. They live both on plains and in mountainous areas, not going higher than 4 km. Because There are many varieties of possums, and they give preference to different habitats. Some species require close proximity to water; they lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle, making dens in tree hollows. Still, most representatives of the opossum family live in trees or on the ground.

An interesting observation is that some species settle closer to human dwellings, although for the most part possums prefer to avoid humans, bypassing them.

Possum and possum: differences in living conditions

In the wild, the possum (also called the “sugar squirrel”) is found mainly in Australia, as well as on the islands adjacent to the continent. The animal spends most of its time on a eucalyptus tree. But sometimes the animal still falls to the ground.
The main feature of the possum is that the animal can adapt to any living conditions. In every place where there is enough food, the animal will want to live. He especially likes to live near the home plantation and garden. The main thing for the possum is that there is food and shady plants grow.
As a rule, the possum leads an active life only at night. The animal sleeps throughout the day, only occasionally waking up to eat. But when dusk comes, the possum wakes up, which means it goes for a walk. This pastime of the animal continues until the morning. After this, the animal goes back to sleep.
The possum lives mainly in groups. There are up to 7 males in one group. But there are up to 30 females. There is also an alpha male in the group. He can mark the territory, as well as each female. The strong smell, which is released due to the glands of the alpha male, scares away males of other groups.
Newborn possum babies remain to live with the rest of the group. When they grow up, they create their own flocks and begin to divide territories.
Possums do not defend their own territory. But, in order to get food, if it becomes insufficient, the entire group of animals begins to look for other places of residence.

Possum or opossum
Now let's talk about possums:

Today, opossums still live in the territory where they previously lived - this is the New World . Although to this day animals have also been seen in European countries. This was proven by paleontological excavations.
Opossums originally settled in North America and South America. But recently, scientists and zoologists began to notice that opossums began to greatly expand their own habitat. The animals began to gradually move north. They were already able to reach the eastern zone of Canada, also to the Antilles.
Opossums like to live in forests, steppes, and semi-desert areas. They also like to live on plains, small mountains whose height is no more than 4000 m.
There are many types of opossums. Each species chooses a separate habitat. Many people like to live where there is a body of water. Others prefer to live on water and land at the same time. They make their own houses in tree dens. But most opossums still prefer to live on tree branches or simply on the ground. There are also opossums that settle near people's houses.

What does an opossum eat?

Photo: Funny possum

We can say that the opossum is an omnivore. It feeds on both plant and animal foods. In general, his taste preferences largely depend on the type and place of his residence. It has been noticed that opossums eat a lot, it seems that they cannot get enough, but this is not so. Animals are very prudent and eat in reserve, storing up fat in case hungry, difficult times come. Cannibalism is a common occurrence among these wild animals.

Typically the opossum menu consists of:

All kinds of berries;
Fruit;
Gribov;
Various insects;
Small lizards;
Small rodents;
Fish, crustaceans, shrimp (from the water possum);
Small birds;
Bird eggs;
Herbs;
Foliage;
Corn cobs;
A variety of grains.

If you have such an unusual pet as an opossum, you can feed it a variety of vegetables, fruits, chicken and eggs. The opossum can also be given regular cat food, but not always and not too often. And his appetite is always excellent.

Possums and possums: diet

The diet of the possum can be very varied. However, it must contain microelements, foods containing proteins, as well as carbohydrates. In summer and spring, when the animal feeds exclusively on protein foods, it begins to hunt:

Kuznechikov.
Worms and other small insects.

When autumn and winter arrive, the possum begins to feed on eucalyptus leaves, acacia greens . Do not forget that the possum is a big fan of sweet food. He really likes the juice of trees and sugar fruits. Therefore, people who decide to keep this animal at home may have a lot of expenses to buy food for the possum.

A young mother possum feeds her own babies until they are 2 months old. After this, the kids begin to get their own food.
In general, the diet of a possum depends on where exactly it lives. The Australian possum prefers to eat only fruits, herbs, and insect larvae. The diet of animals living closer to the north is more varied. These can be various herbs, fruits, insects.

Opossums are omnivorous animals. They love to feast on insects and various roots. They also love fruits and berries. Sometimes possums go out on a “big” hunt, but, as a rule, only large individuals do this.

They feed on leaves

Animals can hunt:

Rodents (mice, rabbits, rats).
Lizards.

In general, the opossum’s diet depends on its species, conditions and habitat. There are animals that live on water. They like to eat fish and frogs. They even sometimes hunt small water snakes.

When the time of famine comes, cases often occur when possums eat their own kind. These animals have an excellent appetite. However, it's not just him. Animals simply stock up on fat reserves in case “hard” times come.

Hunters

If the possum is kept at home, then it must be given frequently:

Fruits.
Vegetables.
Chicken meat.
Eggs.

Sometimes the animal can be given food that is intended for cats. But it is not recommended to abuse such nutrition.

Features of character and lifestyle

Photo: Possum

By nature, opossums are loners and only get a mate during the mating season, preferring to lead a solitary, isolated way of life. These animals lead a crepuscular lifestyle, becoming more active when it gets dark. During the daytime, animals lie down in their burrows or in the crown of trees, hanging on a branch with the help of their strong tail, reminiscent of tentacles. Sweet and sound sleep is a favorite activity for opossums, which they can continuously do for about 19 hours a day.

In general, the animals are very timid and cautious by nature, they avoid meeting people, and catching a possum is not an easy task. On top of everything else, they are real quiet people, making almost no sounds. The animal screams extremely rarely, only when it experiences severe pain. In other cases, possums have no reason for heated discussions and loud conversations. The animals have a fairly calm disposition; they have not been observed to exhibit frequent aggressive behavior.

Opossums are talented tree climbers, ready to hang on tree branches all day long; they often sleep upside down, clinging to a branch with their tail. Also, with the help of the same tail and tenacious clawed paws, they deftly move in the green crown. Of course, there are species that live exclusively on the ground, but there are many more opossums that lead an arboreal lifestyle. Naturally, the water opossum's talent is its ability to swim, which it uses perfectly when getting food from the water.

One of the features of the life activity of opossums is their nomadic (wandering) lifestyle. They constantly move from place to place, without having their own separate territory, like many other animals. Animals living in the northern regions hibernate during severe cold weather. During it, on the warmest and sunny days, the opossum wakes up to eat, staying awake for a short time.

Among those who have acquired such an exotic pet as an opossum, there is an opinion that these animals do not have great intelligence, but they are very playful and flexible, you definitely won’t get bored with them!

Social structure and reproduction

Photo: Baby opossums

How to care for an opossum at home?

An opossum, like a cat, can wash itself with its paws. But, unlike cats, the former love to swim.
By the way, if you suddenly notice that your pet smells unpleasant, it means he may be sick . In this case, you will have to urgently show the animal to the veterinarian, since a healthy possum never produces foreign odors.
If you do not plan to breed opossums, castrate the male. In this case, its natural smell will be significantly reduced.
How to care for an opossum at home? The main hygiene processes for an opossum are as follows - just clean your pet’s cage more often. Do this at least once every 7 days.

Natural enemies of opossums

Photo: Animal possum

In the wild, opossums have many enemies, because they are quite small and shy animals, so many larger predators are not averse to feasting on them. Among the possum's ill-wishers are lynxes, foxes, owls and other large birds of prey, coyotes. All kinds of snakes also pose a danger to young animals. In addition to predators, a large number of animals are killed by a disease such as rabies, the carrier of which is often the Virginia opossum.

It is worth talking separately about the unique method of protection from predatory attacks that opossums use when staging entire theatrical performances. When the threat is imminent, the opossum plays dead so skillfully that the predator has no idea that he is only pretending. The opossum falls, its eyes become glassy, foam is visible at the mouth, and special anal glands emit a corpse-like odor. This whole picture scares away predators, who, after sniffing the “carrion,” feel disgust and move away. When the enemy has left, the animal comes to life and runs away, although for a couple of minutes it was long dead. Such a deceptive trick for opossums often works in their favor, saving many animals from death.