# Virginia opossum (*Didelphis virginiana*)

Opossums are marsupials that carry their babies in a pouch. They have a unique defense mechanism where they play dead when scared, fooling predators. Opossums are excellent climbers and help control insect populations.

- **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Snaps:** 90
- **Habitat:** Forests
- **Also known as:** North American Opossum, Virginia Opossum

![Opossum](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426563/objects/6276.jpg)

## Appearance

The Opossum has coarse, grizzled gray fur with a white face and dark, hairless ears. Its long, scaly tail is also mostly hairless, and it possesses pink toes on its front and back feet.

## Taxonomy

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

## Virginia opossum, up close

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 called: Possum.

A pouch-carrying night wanderer with 50 teeth, a gripping tail and a famous playing-dead trick. Spin it, tap it, then test yourself.

### Special abilities

- **Playing Possum** (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. [1][3][5][8][7][6]
  - 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 dead 120 beats per minute; Freezing after a mild scare 192 beats per minute; Calm, before the scare 222 beats per minute
- **50-Tooth Grin** (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. [1][2][6][9][4]
  - 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.
- **Tail-and-Thumb Climb** (≈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. [5][3][7][6]
  - 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
- **Pouch of 13** (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. [7][2][5][1]
  - 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 pouch 13; Young in a pouch (average) 8
- **Venom Shield** (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. [1][10][11][12]
  - 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.
- **Cool-Running Body** (34.8 °C body temperature; still debated): Opossums run a little cool. Wild opossums measured by scientists had a body temperature of about 34.8 °C. [8][9][5][1][7]
  - 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.
- **Night Buffet** (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. [5][3][1][13][14]
  - 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.

### Body parts

- **Teeth** (50 teeth) [1][2][3][4]
  - 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.
- **Nose** [5][1][3]
  - 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.
- **Eyes** (50:1 rods to cones) [6][5][7][1]
  - 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.
- **Ears** [1][5][7][3]
  - 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.
- **Tail** (≈93% as long as the head and body) [7][5][3]
  - 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.
- **Hind foot** (No claw on the thumb-like toe) [3][1][6][5]
  - 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.
- **Pouch** (13 teats inside) [3][7][5]
  - 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.
- **Young on the back** (≈85 days riding with mum) [3][1][5]
  - 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.
- **Fur** (1.9–6 kg weight) [6][1][7][2]
  - 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.

### Stats

| Stat | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 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] |
| 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] |

### Photos

- [A Virginia opossum in its winter coat](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Opossum_2.jpg) (photo: Cody Pope, CC BY-SA 2.5)
- [A mother with nine young riding on her back](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Didelphis_virginiana_with_young.JPG) (photo: Specialjake, CC BY-SA 3.0)
- [Out in the snow at a wildlife refuge in Iowa: opossums don’t hibernate](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Opossum_in_the_Snow_(24262274299).jpg) (photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Midwest Region, Public domain)
- [A Virginia opossum on the move](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Virginia_opossum_(24893138641).jpg) (photo: Melissa McMasters, CC BY 2.0)
- [A daytime rest in a hole at the foot of a tree](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Opossum_resting_in_a_hole_at_the_base_of_a_tree_(46258469931).jpg) (photo: Courtney Celley, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain)
- [Searching the leaf litter for food at a wildlife refuge in Missouri](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Opossum_in_Missouri_(31273107963).jpg) (photo: Candy Chambers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain)
- [A Virginia opossum in the United States](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Didelphis_virginiana_367934275.jpg) (photo: henrya, CC0)
- [A Virginia opossum](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Didelphis_virginiana_189957925.jpg) (photo: Lauren McLaurin, CC BY 4.0)

### Questions

- **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. [1][5][6]
- **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. [5][1][9][17]
- **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. [13][14]
- **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. [8][7][5]
- **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. [9][1]
- **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. [1][3][5]
- **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. [7][6][18]
- **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. [26][5][21]

### Virginia opossum myths and facts

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

- "Opossums can’t get rabies." **Myth!** Rabies is very rare in opossums, and they are thought to resist it well, but it is not impossible: wild white-eared opossums, close relatives in Brazil, have been found with it. Never touch a wild opossum. [5][1][17][9]
- "One opossum eats about 5,000 ticks a season." **Not proven!** The idea comes from a lab study in which opossums killed most young ticks trying 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. [13][14]
- "Opossums sleep hanging upside down by their tails." **Myth!** The tail can hold an opossum only for a short time, when at least half of it grips a thick branch. Opossums sleep in dens such as hollow trees and brush piles. [3][5][7]
- "An opossum playing dead has fainted and can’t sense anything." **Myth!** Its heart and breathing slow down, but it stays fully aware. In one study, its heart slowed even more when a dog came back. [8]
- "Opossums are a kind of big rat." **Myth!** Despite the scaly tail, opossums are marsupials that raise their young in a pouch. They are more closely related to kangaroos than to any other North American mammal. [5][3]
- "Opossums have more teeth than any other land mammal in North America." **Fact!** They have 50 teeth. Wildlife agencies in North Carolina and Virginia both point to this record. [1][2]
- "Opossum babies are born less than two weeks after mating." **Fact!** Pregnancy lasts only 12–13 days. The tiny, honeybee-sized babies then finish growing in the pouch. [7][2]
- "Opossums can survive bites from rattlesnakes and copperheads." **Fact!** Proteins in their blood block parts of the venom, so they can even eat venomous snakes with little risk. Resistant does not mean completely immune. [1][10]

### Virginia opossum records

Superlatives and record holders, each checked against its source.

- Most teeth of a North American land mammal: Virginia opossum, 50 teeth (a count highlighted by wildlife agencies in North Carolina and Virginia) [1][2]
- North America’s only native marsupial: Virginia opossum, 1 species (as wildlife agencies describe it; its many relatives live farther south, mainly in South America) [3][5]
- Biggest litter: Virginia opossum, up to 25 newborns (more babies than the 13 teats in the pouch) [7][6]
- Longest playing dead: Virginia opossum, up to 6 hours (most bouts are much shorter, from about a minute) [7][5]
- Oldest reported: Captive Virginia opossums, 8–10 years (reports only; most wild opossums live just 1.5–2 years) [7]
- Slow-ageing islanders: An island population, 4,000–5,000 years of fewer predators (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 | 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)
- **Threat: Traffic**: Many opossums are hit by cars at night, often while eating roadkill. [6][5][1]
- **Threat: 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]
- **Threat: Hunting and trapping**: In some areas opossums are hunted and trapped for fur and food. [6][3]
- **Threat: Conflict with people**: They sometimes raid bins, pet food and chicken coops. [1][3]
- **Helping: Lock up the snacks**: Use tight-fitting bin lids and don’t leave pet food outside overnight. Never feed opossums. [9][3]
- **Helping: Predator-proof coops**: A secure coop and run, with feed kept in lidded metal or hard plastic bins, keeps opossums out. [1]
- **Helping: 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]
- **Helping: Drive slowly at night**: Most people meet opossums on roads after dark. Slowing down gives them a chance. [1]

### Virginia opossum body language

- Waddling walk: A slow, rocking gait that looks wobbly but is normal for an opossum. [1]
- Freezing: At a mild scare it stops dead still, and its heart rate drops a little. [8]
- Open mouth, hissing or growling: A bluff that means “back off”. It shows its teeth to look dangerous. Give it space. [1][5][6]
- Drooling: Part of the threat display. On its own it is not a sign of rabies. [1][9]
- Lying limp on its side: Playing dead. The opossum is frightened but aware. Keep pets away and leave it alone to get up and leave. [8][3][5]
- Out in the open for a long time, or walking in tight circles: It may be hurt or sick. Don’t touch it: call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for advice. [1]

### Looks

- **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.) [6][7][1][5]
- **Dark**: Much darker fur, from dark grey to nearly black, with thinner underfur. (More common in the south, where winters are mild.) [7][1]
- **Mother with young**: A female carrying her growing young on her back, clinging to her fur. (Young ride along until they are about 85 days old.) [3][1][5]
- **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.) [7][3][15]

### Virginia opossum quiz

1. How many teeth does a Virginia opossum have? **50.** 50 teeth, more than any other North American land mammal. [1][2]
2. How long is an opossum pregnancy? **12–13 days.** Only 12–13 days. The babies finish growing in the pouch. [7][2]
3. About how big is a newborn opossum? **A honeybee.** Newborns are about 14 mm long and weigh 0.13–0.20 g. [7]
4. How many teats are usually in the pouch? **13.** Usually 13, even though up to 25 babies can be born. [7][5]
5. How many ticks did scientists find in 32 wild opossum stomachs in 2021? **None.** None at all. Ticks don’t seem to be a preferred food. [14]
6. What happens to an opossum’s heart rate when it plays dead? **It drops by about half.** It fell by 46%, from 222 to 120 beats per minute, in wild opossums. [8]
7. Is an opossum that is playing dead aware of what is going on? **Yes, it stays fully aware.** It stays aware: its heart slowed even more when a dog came back. [8]
8. What is special about the big toe on an opossum’s hind foot? **It works like a thumb and has no claw.** The opposable, clawless toe helps the foot grip branches. [3][1]
9. Do opossums sleep hanging by their tails? **No, the tail holds them only briefly.** The tail can take their weight only for a short time. They sleep in dens. [3][5]
10. Why do many northern opossums have ragged ears? **Frostbite on their bare ears.** Their almost hairless ears and tails often get frostbite. [7][3]
11. How long does a wild Virginia opossum usually live? **1.5–2 years.** Most live only about 1.5–2 years in the wild. [7][6]
12. You find an opossum lying limp on its side. What should you do? **Keep pets away and leave it alone.** It is probably playing dead: frightened but aware. Give it space and it will leave when it feels safe. [8][5]

### Sources (checked 2026-10-16)

1. [North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Virginia Opossum.](https://www.ncwildlife.gov/species/virginia-opossum)
2. [Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Virginia opossum.](https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/information/virginia-opossum/)
3. [Missouri Department of Conservation. Virginia Opossum (field guide).](https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/virginia-opossum)
4. [Winokur CE, Wright AL, Peralta S, Vogelnest L, Fiani N (2026). Intraoral radiographic description of dental anatomy and pathology in the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana). Journal of Veterinary Dentistry.](https://doi.org/10.1177/08987564261470574)
5. [Mass Audubon. Opossums (Mammals in Massachusetts).](https://www.massaudubon.org/nature-wildlife/mammals-in-massachusetts/opossums)
6. [Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. Virginia opossum.](https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/virginia-opossum)
7. [Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan Museum of Zoology). Didelphis virginiana (Virginia opossum).](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Didelphis_virginiana/)
8. [Gabrielsen GW, Smith EN (1985). Physiological responses associated with feigned death in the American opossum. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica 123(4):393–398.](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-1716.1985.tb07605.x)
9. [Humane World for Animals (formerly the Humane Society of the United States). What to do about opossums.](https://www.humaneworld.org/en/resources/what-do-about-opossums)
10. [Voss RS, Jansa SA (2012). Snake-venom resistance as a mammalian trophic adaptation: lessons from didelphid marsupials. Biological Reviews 87(4):822–837.](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-185X.2012.00222.x)
11. [Komives CF, Sanchez EE, Rathore AS, White B, Balderrama M, Suntravat M, Cifelli A, Joshi V (2017). Opossum peptide that can neutralize rattlesnake venom is expressed in Escherichia coli. Biotechnology Progress 33(1):81–86.](https://doi.org/10.1002/btpr.2386)
12. [Chavan SG, Deobagkar DD (2015). An in silico insight into novel therapeutic interaction of LTNF peptide-LT10 and design of structure based peptidomimetics for putative anti-diabetic activity. PLoS One 10(3):e0121860.](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0121860)
13. [Keesing F, Brunner J, Duerr S, Killilea M, LoGiudice K, Schmidt K, Vuong H, Ostfeld RS (2009). Hosts as ecological traps for the vector of Lyme disease. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 276(1675):3911–3919.](https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2009.1159)
14. [Hennessy C, Hild K (2021). Are Virginia opossums really ecological traps for ticks? Groundtruthing laboratory observations. Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases 12(5):101780.](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101780)
15. [Kanda LL (2005). Winter energetics of Virginia opossums Didelphis virginiana and implications for the species' northern distributional limit. Ecography 28(6):731–744.](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2005.0906-7590.04173.x)
16. [Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan Museum of Zoology). Procyon lotor (raccoon).](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Procyon_lotor/)
17. [Ferreira-Machado E, Conselheiro JA, Bernardes da Silva BE, et al. (2023). Naturally acquired rabies in white-eared opossum, Brazil. Emerging Infectious Diseases 29(12).](https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2912.230373)
18. [Austad SN (1993). Retarded senescence in an insular population of Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana). Journal of Zoology 229(4):695–708.](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1993.tb02665.x)
19. [Wikidata. Didelphis virginiana (Q147267).](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q147267)
20. [Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan Museum of Zoology). Trichosurus vulpecula (common brushtail possum).](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Trichosurus_vulpecula/)
21. [Australian Museum. Common Brushtail Possum.](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/mammals/common-brushtail-possum/)
22. [GBIF. Didelphis virginiana Kerr, 1792: IUCN Red List category Least Concern (IUCN taxon 40502).](https://www.gbif.org/species/2439923)
23. [GBIF. Trichosurus vulpecula (Kerr, 1792): IUCN Red List category Least Concern (IUCN taxon 40585).](https://www.gbif.org/species/2440254)
24. [GBIF. Procyon lotor (Linnaeus, 1758): IUCN Red List category Least Concern (IUCN taxon 41686).](https://www.gbif.org/species/5218786)
25. [Walsh LL, Tucker PK (2018). Contemporary range expansion of the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) impacted by humans and snow cover. Canadian Journal of Zoology 96(2):107–115.](https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2017-0071)
26. [Merriam-Webster. Opossum (definition and etymology).](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opossum)

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 33-55 cm
- **Weight:** 1.9-6 kg
- **Lifespan:** 1.5-4 years
- **Litter Size:** 4-25
- **Gestation:** 12-13 days

## 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

- **Eaten by:** [Coyote](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coyote) (*Canis latrans*) — A common predator of opossums.
- **Eaten by:** [Great Horned Owl](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-horned-owl) (*Bubo virginianus*) — A significant nocturnal bird predator.
- **Parasite:** Blacklegged Tick (*Ixodes scapularis*) — Ticks try to feed on opossums, but opossums kill most of them and rarely eat them.

## Traits

- [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats.
- [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur.
- [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter.
- [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
- [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment.
- [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day.

## Collections

- [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals)

## 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.

## 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

## Where to spot

- [Anderson Japanese Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/anderson-japanese-gardens) — Illinois, US · Botanical Garden
- [Bellefontaine Cemetery](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bellefontaine-cemetery) — Missouri, US · Botanical Garden
- [Eden Landing Ecological Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/eden-landing-ecological-reserve) — California, US · Nature Reserve
- [Fairlie-Poplar](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fairlie-poplar) — Georgia, US · Neighborhood
- [Georgia Institute of Technology Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/georgia-institute-of-technology-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District
- [Gloucester Downtown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gloucester-downtown-historic-district) — Virginia, US · Historic District

[View all places to see Opossum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/opossum)

## More Mammals

- [Eastern Fox Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-fox-squirrel) (*Sciurus niger*)
- [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*)
- [Eastern Chipmunk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-chipmunk) (*Tamias striatus*)
- [California Ground Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-ground-squirrel) (*Otospermophilus beecheyi*)

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Source: [Virginia opossum: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/opossum)