20 OPOSSUM FACTS!!

I'm feeling really bad rn so yall are getting an infodump about opossums now so

20 OPOSSUM FACTS!!

(tried to present some more uncommon facts)

The males are called Jacks, the females Jills, and the babies are called Joeys

They are mainly scavengers and their diet consists of dead animals, insects, rodents, birds, fruit, plants, frogs, grain, and trash

A little known fact about their diet is that they have a high need for calcium, which is why they eat the skeletal remains of rodents and roadkill animals.

They have 13 nipples, which is why you won't see a Jill with more than 13 Joey's.

Joey's are born about the same size as a grain of rice, and have to make their way to their mothers pouch. That journey is dangerous, and at the end only max. 13 will survive because there's only 13 nipples.

Opossums have poor eyesight, but a keen sense of smell and hearing.

When mating the opossums roll onto their right side. If they fail to do so or roll onto their left they're less likely to have mated successfully

Jacks have a bifurcated (forked into two) penis, and Jills have a double vagina to accommodate this

They have prehensile tails that help them climb in trees

They grip things with their paws and are seen feeding themselves with them

Their back paws have opposable thumbs lacking claws which they use to climb

They very rarely get rabies! Their bodies core temperature is too low. It's much more likely to encounter a rabid dog or cat than rabid opossum

they're highly resistant to snake venom, and can be bitten by a rattlesnake 80 times without effect

their 50 teeth are razor-sharp, yet they rarely ever bite humans.

they don't play possum on purpose. it's a non voluntary response to extreme stress, which happens more often in younger opossums. playing possum is also quite risky because in this state, while they do make themselves look unappealing, if a predator does decide to take a nibble the opossum can't do anything about I because they are unconscious. This state can last from minutes to hours

they make themselves drool to appear sick to predators so they get left alone

they hiss and bear their teeth mainly for show, to appear mean and scary in the hopes of being left alone so they can flee

They're prone towards frostbite and hypothermia. Their tails and ears are nearly hairless, leaving them unprotected in the winter. You can tell an opossum has lived through atleast one winter by signs of frostbite on their ears and tails

Opossums in urban areas are a LOT larger than Opossums in more natural, rural areas. Studies have shown urban Opossums are on average 34% larger than rural ones.

While they prefer to be on land, they are very good swimmers.

And there we have it, 20 facts about Opossums! I hope yall thought they were awesome-possum.

And remember, if you're lucky enough to encounter one, be kind to them, they mean no harm.