What is special about the big toe on an opossum’s hind foot?

It works like a thumb and has no claw

Do opossums sleep hanging by their tails?

No, the tail holds them only briefly

You find an opossum lying limp on its side. What should you do?

Keep pets away and leave it alone

Virginia opossum

Didelphis virginiana

The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) is a cat-sized marsupial that lives from Costa Rica to southern Canada and is often called North America’s only marsupial. Females carry their tiny young in a pouch and later on their backs. It is a nocturnal omnivore with 50 teeth and a gripping tail, famous for “playing possum” when it is attacked.

Also known as Possum, North American Opossum

Virginia opossum abilities

1 min–6 h time it can stay limp
If a predator grabs and shakes it, an opossum may flop onto its side, go limp and lie still with its mouth open. Many attackers lose interest in prey that seems dead.
- Its tongue hangs out, its eyes may close, and it often drools, poos and gives off a greenish, smelly fluid from glands near the tail.
- It has not fainted. In wild opossums, heart rate fell by 46% and breathing by 30%, yet the animals stayed fully aware: their hearts slowed even more when a dog came back.
- It can last from about a minute to 6 hours. Adults more often hiss, show their teeth or run off; playing dead is more typical of young opossums.
Heart rate of wild opossums
Playing dead120 beats per minute
Freezing after a mild scare192 beats per minute
Calm, before the scare222 beats per minute
Gabrielsen & Smith (1985), four free-ranging opossums.
Sources [1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8]
50 teeth, the most of any North American land mammal
Open wide: an opossum has 50 teeth. When cornered, it shows them off in a hissing, drooling bluff before it ever plays dead.
- First it faces the threat with its mouth open and hisses or growls, sometimes screeching.
- The drooling is part of the show. People often mistake it for rabies, but healthy opossums do it too.
- In an X-ray study of 25 wild opossums, missing teeth were the most common finding and 80% had a broken canine.
Sources [1, 2, 4, 6, 9]
≈93% tail length vs head and body
Opossums are skilled climbers. A gripping tail and a thumb-like big toe on each hind foot hold on to branches.
- The prehensile tail wraps round branches for balance and support, and can carry bundles of leaves to the den.
- It can take the opossum’s whole weight only briefly. Opossums do not sleep hanging by the tail.
- To escape danger, an opossum may climb a tree, or even swim.
Total length 58–109 cm
Tail: 25–54 cm
Head and body 33–55 cm. Sizes vary a lot from region to region.
Sources [3, 5, 6, 7]
13 teats in the pouch
Only 12–13 days after mating, up to 25 honeybee-sized babies are born and crawl into their mother’s pouch. There are usually just 13 teats.
- Each newborn weighs 0.13–0.20 g and is about 14 mm long. It pulls itself to the pouch with strong front legs.
- Babies that find a teat hold on for 50–70 days. On average about 8 young are in a pouch.
- In 100 days a baby grows about 1,000 times heavier, to around 130 g.
Virginia opossum babies by the numbers
Newborns (most recorded)25
Teats in the pouch13
Young in a pouch (average)8
Litter sizes vary by region and season.
Sources [1, 2, 5, 7]
11 amino acids in a venom-blocking peptide
Virginia opossums resist the venom of rattlesnakes, copperheads and cottonmouths, and can even eat these snakes. Proteins in their blood block parts of the venom.
- The blood proteins latch on to some of the venom’s enzymes and switch them off.
- Scientists made a short peptide, just 11 amino acids long, based on the opossum’s blood factor (called LTNF). Mixed with a deadly dose of western diamondback rattlesnake venom, it protected lab mice.
- It might one day lead to new snakebite treatments, but it is not a medicine yet. Resistant is not the same as immune.
Sources [1, 10, 11, 12]
34.8 °C body temperatureStill debated
Opossums run a little cool. Wild opossums measured by scientists had a body temperature of about 34.8 °C.
- Playing dead lowered it only slightly, to about 34.2 °C.
- Rabies is very rare in opossums. Some experts think the low body temperature may help, but this has not been proven.
- Opossums do not hibernate. In cold snaps they stay in their dens and live on stored fat, and their bare ears and tails can get frostbite.
Sources [1, 5, 7, 8, 9]
0 ticks found in 32 wild opossum stomachs
Opossums are omnivores that eat almost anything they find at night: insects, snails, worms, mice, fruit and dead animals. Ticks turn out not to be a big part of the menu.
- Insects and carrion are key foods. In autumn they feast on fruit such as persimmons, grapes and pawpaws.
- They also raid open bins, pet food left outside and sometimes chicken coops.
- In a 2009 lab study, opossums killed most of the young ticks that tried to feed on them. But when scientists searched 32 wild opossum stomachs in 2021, they found no ticks at all.
Sources [1, 3, 5, 13, 14]

Tap a pin on the model or a part below.

50 teeth
- 50 teeth: more than any other land mammal in North America.
- When cornered, an opossum opens its mouth wide, hisses or growls and drools. It is a bluff to look dangerous.
- Teeth wear and break with age. In an X-ray study of 25 wild opossums, 80% had at least one broken canine.
Sources [1, 2, 3, 4]
- A long, pointed pink nose on a mostly white face.
- At night it finds beetles, cockroaches, worms, snails, slugs, mice, fruit and carrion: almost anything edible.
- In autumn and early winter it eats lots of fruit, such as persimmons, grapes and pawpaws.
Sources [1, 3, 5]
50:1 rods to cones
- Dark eyes for a life between dusk and dawn.
- The eye has about 50 light-sensing rods for every colour-sensing cone. A cat has about 10.
- Scientists think opossums see well in dim light but can tell few colours apart.
Sources [1, 5, 6, 7]
- Large, thin, black ears with almost no fur and often a pink tip.
- Bare ears get frostbite easily, so many northern opossums have ragged ear edges.
- In Missouri, adult males in particular often have damaged ear and tail tips from freezing.
Sources [1, 3, 5, 7]
≈93% as long as the head and body
- Scaly and almost hairless, with fur only at the base. It is about 93% as long as the head and body.
- Prehensile: it wraps round branches for balance and grip, and can carry bundles of leaves to the den.
- It can hold the opossum’s weight only for a short time, when at least half of it is wrapped round a thick branch.
Sources [3, 5, 7]
No claw on the thumb-like toe
- The big toe on each hind foot is opposable, like a thumb, so the foot can grip branches.
- This toe has no claw and sticks out at a right angle, so it leaves no claw mark in a track.
- Front and hind tracks are each about 5 cm long, with five toes.
Sources [1, 3, 5, 6]
13 teats inside
- Only females have a pouch: a fur-lined pocket on the belly.
- Inside there are usually 13 teats. Up to 25 babies can be born, and those that find no teat do not survive.
- Each baby holds on to its teat for about 50–70 days.
Sources [3, 5, 7]
≈85 days riding with mum
- When the young grow too big to all fit in the pouch, some ride on their mother’s back, clinging to her fur.
- They travel in the pouch or on her back until they are about 85 days old.
- Young also use their tails to hold on.
Sources [1, 3, 5]
1.9–6 kg weight
- Coarse, grizzled fur: pale underfur with black-tipped guard hairs.
- Colour ranges from light grey to nearly black. Southern opossums tend to be darker, with thinner underfur.
- About the size of a house cat, but with shorter legs.
Sources [1, 2, 6, 7]

Real Virginia opossums

Photos from Wikimedia Commons. Some of them can repaint the 3D model.

Grey (typical)Grizzled grey: whitish underfur tipped with black, a mostly white face and black, almost hairless ears.The most familiar look. Northern opossums tend to be lighter and more grizzled, with thicker underfur.A Virginia opossum in its winter coat. Photo: Cody Pope, CC BY-SA 2.5
Mother with youngA female carrying her growing young on her back, clinging to her fur.Young ride along until they are about 85 days old.A mother with nine young riding on her back. Photo: Specialjake, CC BY-SA 3.0
Winter (northern)A thick winter coat, with ragged, frost-nicked ear edges and a damaged tail tip.Frostbite on the bare ears and tail is common in northern opossums, especially adult males.Out in the snow at a wildlife refuge in Iowa: opossums don’t hibernate. Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Midwest Region, Public domain
A Virginia opossum on the movePhoto: Melissa McMasters, CC BY 2.0
A daytime rest in a hole at the foot of a treePhoto: Courtney Celley, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain
Searching the leaf litter for food at a wildlife refuge in MissouriPhoto: Candy Chambers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain
A Virginia opossum in the United StatesPhoto: henrya, CC0
A Virginia opossumPhoto: Lauren McLaurin, CC BY 4.0

Virginia opossum by the numbers

Measured by scientists and wildlife agencies, with comparisons you can picture.

Weight: 1.9–6 kg; typical males 2.1–2.8 kg, females 1.9–2.1 kg; About the size of a house cat⁠[7, 6, 2]
Head and body: 33–55 cm; plus a tail of 25–54 cm⁠[7]
Tail: ≈93%; of the head-and-body length; scaly and almost hairless⁠[7]
Teeth: 50; the most of any North American land mammal⁠[1, 2]
Pregnancy: 12–13 days; the babies finish growing in the pouch⁠[7, 2, 16]; Virginia opossum13 daysRaccoon (up to)65 days
Newborn: 0.13–0.20 g; about 14 mm long, the size of a honeybee; About 1,000 times heavier after 100 days⁠[7, 1]
Babies born: 4–25; but usually only 13 teats in the pouch⁠[7, 6, 5]
Wild lifespan: 1.5–2 years; 3–4 years in captivity, with reports of 8–10⁠[7, 6, 3]
Body temperature: 34.8 °C; measured in wild opossums; 34.2 °C while playing dead⁠[8]
Heart rate playing dead: 120 beats/min; down 46% from 222 before the scare⁠[8]; Playing dead120 beats/minBefore the scare222 beats/min

Virginia opossum myths and facts

Tap Myth or Fact for each claim, then check the answer.

0 of 8 answered

“Opossums can’t get rabies.”
“One opossum eats about 5,000 ticks a season.”
“Opossums sleep hanging upside down by their tails.”
“An opossum playing dead has fainted and can’t sense anything.”
“Opossums are a kind of big rat.”
“Opossums have more teeth than any other land mammal in North America.”
“Opossum babies are born less than two weeks after mating.”
“Opossums can survive bites from rattlesnakes and copperheads.”

Virginia opossum records

Superlatives and record holders, each checked against its source.

Most teeth of a North American land mammal
50 teeth
Virginia opossum
a count highlighted by wildlife agencies in North Carolina and Virginia⁠[1, 2]
North America’s only native marsupial
1 species
Virginia opossum
as wildlife agencies describe it; its many relatives live farther south, mainly in South America⁠[3, 5]
Biggest litter
up to 25 newborns
Virginia opossum
more babies than the 13 teats in the pouch⁠[7, 6]
Longest playing dead
up to 6 hours
Virginia opossum
most bouts are much shorter, from about a minute⁠[7, 5]
Oldest reported
8–10 years
Captive Virginia opossums
reports only; most wild opossums live just 1.5–2 years⁠[7]
Slow-ageing islanders
4,000–5,000 years of fewer predators
An island population
island females lived longer and aged more slowly than mainland opossums⁠[18]

Virginia opossum babies

From a honeybee-sized newborn to a youngster on its own in about 100 days.

12–13 days
pregnancy
Then the tiny babies are born and crawl straight into the pouch.⁠[7, 2]
0.13 g
newborn weight
About 14 mm long, blind and not fully formed, but with strong front legs for climbing to the pouch.⁠[7, 3]
13
teats
Up to 25 babies can be born, but there are usually only 13 teats. Babies that don’t find one don’t survive.⁠[7, 5]
50–70 days
on the teat
The teat swells in the baby’s mouth, so it stays firmly attached while it grows.⁠[7, 5]
≈85 days
riding on mum
Too big for the pouch, the young cling to their mother’s back and fur.⁠[1, 3]
93–105 days
weaned
The young start on solid food at about 85 days and soon head off alone. Some stay in the den until about 120 days.⁠[7]

Found a baby opossum? Don’t touch or feed it. If it is alone and smaller than about 18 cm (7 inches, not counting the tail), in the pouch of a dead mother, or hurt, call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.

A year in the life of a Virginia opossum

Babies in late winter, piggyback rides in spring and a fruit feast in autumn.

January–February
Mating season starts
Opossums live alone, but the mating season begins in January or February and runs into June or July.⁠[6, 7]
Late winter
Honeybee-sized babies
Just 12–13 days after mating, tiny babies are born and crawl into the pouch. In Missouri, most first litters are born by the end of February.⁠[7, 2, 3]
Spring
Peeking out
At about 55 days the young are as big as a house mouse and can crawl out of the pouch for short spells.⁠[1]
Spring
Piggyback rides
Too big for the pouch, the young ride on their mother’s back until they are about 85 days old.⁠[3, 1]
May
First litter leaves
The young are weaned at 93–105 days, and the mother can mate again. In warm regions she may raise up to 3 litters a year.⁠[3, 7]
Late September
Second litter weaned
In Missouri, second litters are usually weaned by the end of September.⁠[3]
Autumn
Fruit feast
Opossums eat lots of fruit in autumn and early winter, such as persimmons, grapes and pawpaws.⁠[3]
Winter
Cold nights
Opossums don’t hibernate. They stay in their dens during the coldest spells and live on stored fat. In the north, bare ears and tails often get frostbite.⁠[1, 5, 7, 3]
Next year
A short life
Young opossums breed in their first year. Most wild opossums live only about 1.5–2 years.⁠[3, 7, 6]

Virginia opossum vs brushtail possum vs raccoon

Two pouched marsupials from opposite sides of the world, and the masked neighbour that shares the opossum’s bins.

Virginia opossum vs common brushtail possum vs raccoon
	Virginia opossum	Common brushtail possum	Raccoon
Scientific name⁠[19, 20, 16]	Didelphis virginiana	Trichosurus vulpecula	Procyon lotor
Pouch⁠[7, 20, 16]	Yes (marsupial)	Yes (marsupial)	No
Lives in⁠[7, 20, 16]	Costa Rica to southern Canada	Australia; brought to New Zealand in 1840	North and Central America; introduced to parts of Europe and Asia
Weight⁠[7, 20, 16]	1.9–6 kg	1.2–4.5 kg	1.8–10.4 kg
Pregnancy⁠[7, 20, 16]	12–13 days	about 18 days	63–65 days
Young per litter⁠[7, 20, 16]	4–25 born	1	3–7
Active⁠[6, 21, 16]	At night	At night	At night
Average wild lifespan⁠[7, 20, 16]	1.5–2 years	about 7 years	about 5 years (once past youth)
IUCN status⁠[22, 23, 24]	Least Concern	Least Concern	Least Concern

In North America, “possum” usually means the Virginia opossum. In Australia, possums such as the brushtail are a different group of marsupials.

Are Virginia opossums endangered?

No. The Virginia opossum is common and has spread far to the north. Its biggest dangers are cars and cold winters.

IUCN Red List

Least Concern (LC)

Found from Costa Rica to southern Ontario. Before European settlement it reached only about as far north as Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio. It has since spread into places such as Michigan and Massachusetts, helped by people’s buildings and food.⁠[19, 22, 7, 25, 15]

IUCN Red List: Least Concern (checked via Wikidata and GBIF)

Threats

Traffic
Many opossums are hit by cars at night, often while eating roadkill.⁠[6, 5, 1]
Hard winters
Opossums don’t hibernate. A model of winters in Amherst, Massachusetts, found young females would survive well enough to keep numbers steady in only 4 of 77 years. They live there anyway, most likely thanks to food and shelter from people.⁠[15, 7]
Hunting and trapping
In some areas opossums are hunted and trapped for fur and food.⁠[6, 3]
Conflict with people
They sometimes raid bins, pet food and chicken coops.⁠[1, 3]

What’s helping

Lock up the snacks
Use tight-fitting bin lids and don’t leave pet food outside overnight. Never feed opossums.⁠[9, 3]
Predator-proof coops
A secure coop and run, with feed kept in lidded metal or hard plastic bins, keeps opossums out.⁠[1]
Call a rehabilitator
For young in a dead mother’s pouch, a lone baby under about 18 cm (not counting the tail), or a hurt opossum, call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Don’t try to raise it yourself.⁠[1, 5]
Drive slowly at night
Most people meet opossums on roads after dark. Slowing down gives them a chance.⁠[1]

Virginia opossum quiz

12 questions. Every answer is somewhere on this page.

Question 1 of 12Score 0

How many teeth does a Virginia opossum have?

Virginia opossum field notes

Diet, food web, safety and badges from the Snappit field guide.

Diet & Feeding

Opossums eat almost anything, from fruits and insects to small animals and trash.

Primary Foods

Insects
fruits
carrion
small rodents
bird eggs
garden vegetables
Foraging Method: Foraging

Ecological connections

CoyoteEaten by
A common predator of opossums.
Great Horned OwlEaten by
A significant nocturnal bird predator.
Blacklegged TickParasite
Ticks try to feed on opossums, but opossums kill most of them and rarely eat them.

Safety

Danger 2/5 · Low

If you see an opossum, admire it from a safe distance. Never touch or feed one, even if it looks dead: it may be playing possum. If you find a baby or a hurt one, tell an adult, who can call a wildlife rehabilitator.

Traits

Collections

Mammals

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Didelphimorphia
Family: Didelphidae
Genus: Didelphis

Sources for these Virginia opossum facts

26 studies and references · checked Oct 16, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How to identify Virginia opossum?

Compare ears, muzzle, tail, feet and coat markings. Size is hard to judge without something nearby for scale, and young mammals may not have adult coloring yet. Mammal Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

How long is Virginia opossum?

33-55 cm

How much does Virginia opossum weigh?

1.9-6 kg

How long does Virginia opossum live?

1.5-4 years

What does Virginia opossum eat?

Opossums eat almost anything, from fruits and insects to small animals and trash.

Where is Virginia opossum usually found?

Forests

How does Virginia opossum hunt?

Foraging

How many babies does Virginia opossum usually have?

4-25

Are opossums dangerous to people?

Not usually. They are shy and would rather hiss, show their 50 teeth, run away or play dead than fight. But any wild animal may bite if it is grabbed or cornered, so never touch, corner or feed one.

Do opossums carry rabies?

Rabies is very rare in opossums, but not impossible: wild opossums of a related species in Brazil have been found with it. Hissing and drooling are a normal bluff, not a sign of rabies on their own. If any wild animal bites or scratches someone, tell an adult and get medical advice straight away.

Do opossums really eat thousands of ticks?

Probably not. The idea came from a 2009 lab study in which opossums killed most of the young ticks that tried to feed on them, later turned into estimates of about 5,500 ticks a week. But a 2021 study found no ticks in 32 wild opossum stomachs, and none of 23 earlier diet studies had found any.

What should I do if an opossum plays dead?

Leave it alone and keep pets and children away. The opossum is frightened but aware, and it will get up and leave when it feels safe. That can take from about a minute to a few hours.

What should I do if I find a baby opossum?

Don’t touch or feed it. Mother opossums usually carry their young with them. If a baby is alone and smaller than about 18 cm (not counting the tail), is in the pouch of a dead mother, or looks hurt, call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.

What do opossums eat?

Almost anything: insects, worms, snails, slugs, mice, eggs, fruit and carrion. Insects and carrion are key foods, and in autumn they eat lots of fruit. They also raid open bins and pet food left outside.

How long do opossums live?

Most wild Virginia opossums live only about 1.5–2 years. In captivity they usually reach 3–4 years, with reports of 8–10. On one island with few predators, opossums aged more slowly and lived longer.

What is the difference between a possum and an opossum?

In North America, “possum” is the everyday name for the Virginia opossum. The word opossum comes from a Virginia Algonquian word and was first used in English in 1610. In Australia, “possums” are a different group of marsupials, such as the common brushtail possum.