I have always been interested in wildlife, and I have no doubt that this has had a lot to do with why I have spent the last 40 years of my life as a wildlife artist and illustrator, and as an outdoor writer.
While the hunting seasons are nonexistent right now, I am still constantly on the lookout for whatever wildlife I can see.
Unfortunately, a lot of those sightings are dead animals along the highway. I suspect deer are one of the most common sightings, but I wouldn’t be surprised if opossums didn’t come in second.
Besides seeing them dead on the roadways, I also see them on the cameras I have posted around my home, but those sightings are almost always after dark and for good reason, since opossums are, for the most part, nocturnal.
The opossum is an interesting animal in that it is one of the world’s oldest living mammals and the only marsupial on our continent.
Marsupials are born before they are well developed, and they continue their growth and development while still in a pouch on the mother’s abdomen.
Newborns are hairless and blind and about a half inch in length. An average of eight newborns are housed in the mother’s fur-lined pouch, which is also equipped with mammary glands.
What’s interesting is that when a young opossum attaches itself to the mammary gland and begins to nurse, the nipple enlarges and forms a bulb on the end, which swells in the baby’s mouth, helping it to stay attached. It takes eight to nine weeks for the young to open their eyes and let go of the mammary glands, and they begin leaving the pouch.
When being preyed upon, opossums may climb a tree or hide in a hole in the ground, but they may also “play possum.” During this playing-dead period, the opossum lies limp and motionless on its side. During this “dead” period, the eyes and mouth remain open, the tongue hangs outside the mouth, and the breathing becomes shallow. This “dead” state can last from a few minutes to several hours. Because some predators don’t eat dead prey, this playing possum may help to survive an attack.
Opossums are omnivorous and eat just about anything they can find. No doubt that’s why we see so many dead opossums on the highways since there’s plenty of other dead animals to make a meal. Opossums also feed on lizards, snakes, toads, bird eggs, and any young, small animals they can get. They will also eat plant foods like a variety of berries, grapes, mushrooms, acorns, and even cultivated plants. Don’t be surprised if you also spot them eating your garbage at home.
Speaking of opossums eating insects, someone mentioned to me the other day that they read that opossums also devour ticks; eating ticks in your backyard would certainly be a positive and good reason to have opossums roaming around the yard at night.
Keep your eyes open, especially during these spring days, since when the young stop nursing for short periods of time, they can be seen riding on the backs of their mother, gripping her fur with their claws; an interesting sight that I have yet to spot.
