Opossum
Opossums are North America’s only marsupials and nature’s unsung heroes. With short lifespans—just 1–2 years in the wild—they face constant threats like cars and predators. Many become orphans or are mistaken as abandoned, and only those with medical issues come to live at Animal Tracks.
Though often misunderstood, opossums are essential to healthy ecosystems. They eat pests, scavenge waste, and can consume up to 30,000 ticks in a lifetime—helping control Lyme disease. Their prehensile tails act like a fifth limb, perfect for climbing and balancing.
Our current resident, Biggie Smalls, is full of personality and plays a big role in showing visitors just how amazing opossums really are.
ORDER: Didelphimorphia
FAMILY: Didelphidae
GENUS: Didelphis
SPECIES: Virginiana
The opossums are nighttime scavengers, which makes them very important to their habitats. By eating carrion, the risk of disease spreading in the area is lowered. They are important seed dispersers. Opossums might look like a small little forest animal, but they have the greatest number of teeth of any land mammal, 50 very sharp teeth! They have pouches to carry their young, opposable thumbs on their hind legs, and a prehensile tail that can work as a fifth hand if necessary. They have the ability to play dead when startled or frightened (they're not pretending, they actually go into a catatonic state). They curl up with their mouths open, tongues out, breathing slows for several minutes to several hours. They will tolerate being poked or prodded or even bitten without reacting. They developed this trait to help escape predation, as most predators do not eat carrion. Breeding takes place from December to August, and the gestation period is only 12-13 days long. The female can have up to 25 joeys, but only 13 will survive. They are born the size of a honeybee, climb into mama’s pouch and latch onto a milk source – its first come first serve, as mama only has 13 nipples. They will remain in the pouch for 2 ½ to 3 months and then hang on mama’s back for the remainder of the time that they are together. Mama dumps them off between 4 & 5months and reproductive maturity is reached by 6 months old.
Threats
Cars, dogs and hunting.
Conservation Status
LC - Least Concern