Opossum

Opossum pic1

The opossum is North Ameirca's only marsupial, meaning that the female carries her young in a pouch on her abdomen. These animals are omnivores, meaning that they eat both meat and plants, and their diets can vary but consist mostly of berries, insects, small rodents, grasses, and leaves. Their life span is typically 2-4 years. The size of an opossum is similar to that of a cat, and they prefer to live in trees. The opossum's tail is used to stabilize their body when climbing, but, contrary to what many people believe, they do not hang upside down by their tails. The opossum is nocturnal, meaning that it is most active at night2.

For information about what you should do if you see an opossum in your yard, click here to go to the Q&A page.

 

References:

1) Image is ClipArt from Microsoft Word

2) Reynolds, T. Opossum facts. Retrieved April 14, 2009, Web site: http://biology.clc.uc.edu/students/114-Sum98-Opossums/facts.htm