Opossum
This sweet boy, DAREDEVIL, was found after being struck by a car, disoriented and circling in the middle of the road. The accident left him blind and with some lasting mobility challenges — he drags one of his back legs slightly — but it never took away his gentle spirit.
After such a traumatic event, he also developed a severe case of “crispy ear,” a stress-related condition common in opossums. Thankfully, Cleo’s Critter Care stepped in immediately, providing expert care, love, and critical veterinary support. Thanks to them, he’s made it through the worst, and now his next chapter begins with us at Animal Tracks.
We’ll continue monitoring his health closely, making sure he doesn’t relapse and that his days are filled with comfort, safety, and enrichment. He may never return to the wild, but here he gets what every animal deserves: peace, patience, and a whole lot of love.
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