Possums and opossums differ in their tails and habitat. A possum has a furry tail while an opossum has a bare tail. Possums live in Australia and opossums live in North America.
Opossums have a white face with black eyes and sharp teeth. Their tail resembles a rat’s tail, without fur. Possums have grayish-brown fur and white markings. One difference is their tails – possums have furry tails and opossums have bare tails.
Opossums play dead when threatened while possums are more docile. Opossums are on average larger than possums. Possums use their tail for balance and climbing while opossums have hairless, rat-like tails.
Possums live in Australia and opossums live in the Americas. Using location is the easiest way to tell them apart. Opossum is the correct name for the Virginia opossum found in North America. Possum is used more in common language while opossum is preferred scientifically. The first syllable in opossum can be silent.
How long does an opossum live?
The average opossum lifespan is one to two years in the wild and up to four years in captivity. In the wild, opossums seldom live past their first year due to predators and health issues. Captive opossums normally live between 3-4 years.
Opossums avoid one another except during late winter breeding season. Island opossums subjected to natural selection live longer. As marsupials, opossums have a fascinating life cycle.
The captive specimens have a maximum life expectancy of about 4 years. However, Australian possums have longer lifespans. Let’s see how long possums live.
Possums are little marsupials native to North America. Although they have a bad reputation, they deserve credit for intelligence. We’ll look at the possum’s lifespan, which depends on factors like diet and body size.
Island possums subjected to natural selection live longer. As marsupials, possums have a unique life cycle.
In the wild opossums live for about 1-2 years, much shorter than similar animals. Predators and health issues lead to their short lifespan. We’ll look at different life stages and when they reach maturity.
Opossums are the only North American marsupials. People wonder how long they live. On average they live 1-2 years in the wild due to predators, disease and accidents.
Let’s see details on possum lifespan. They have fascinating lifecycles as marsupials.
Are opossums good pets?
Opossums have grown in popularity as exotic pets. They are good pets due to their cleanliness, diet, and health. These small, friendly creatures have easy care requirements.
It’s illegal to keep wild opossums as pets without a permit. Healthy opossums should be released once old enough. Consider orphaned opossums’ need to be in the wild despite their cuteness. Opossums are better left in nature not captivity despite their passive look that may lead one to think they would make good pets.
One reason opossums survive is their varied diet. They eat almost anything. It may be hard to balance their diet in captivity.
Opossums help control pests and Lyme disease, so they benefit the environment. They are unlikely to threaten pets or carry disease. Opossums catch and eat rats, mice, cockroaches, and carrion. They kill most ticks on their bodies before ticks transmit Lyme disease.
What does a opossum eat?
Opossums are omnivorous meaning they eat both vegetation and meat. The common opossum has a broad diet, which includes invertebrates, vertebrates, fruits, and nectar. This mammal also feeds on carrion. Opossums found in the urban areas have been noted to eat garbage and dead animals. They play an important role in the ecosystem as scavengers and help control insect and rodent populations.
Opossums are the oldest living mammals native to the Americas. They belong to the order Didelphimorphia and are one of the only marsupials found outside of Australia. As prey availability depends on the region, urban opossums scavenge from trash bins, pet dishes, and even roadkill. Like other possums, they become active at night and are arboreal.
Opossums eat insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, and ticks. They play an important role in controlling pest populations. While not common, given the opportunity they may feed on already deceased rabbits or squirrels. Opossums enjoy various fruits including berries and can be attracted to sweet-smelling trees.
Opossums love cooked and raw eggs. Despite misconceptions as filthy scavengers, they have redeeming qualities. They’re natural scavengers that venture into homes and gardens looking for food. This can be both beneficial and detrimental depending on the situation. Part of their diet includes items humans dispose of. They also munch on bugs humans don’t like having around. A drop in these around a home may indicate an opossum visitor.