As I approached, my running shoes skidded to a halt. The black fur was invisible in the dark, allowing only the white stripe to be seen, giving it a serpentine look. We stared at each other for a few moments, after which he, somewhat annoyed, walked away into the bushes. Opossums have become very common in Hudson County in the last few years. Since opossums bear a superficial resemblance to rodents, they are sometimes mistaken for giant rats.
Opossums are actually marsupials.
This means that they give birth to very poorly developed young. These tiny babies are carried about by their mother in a pouch of fur for an extended period of time. Opossums are really much more closely related to the kangaroos of Australia than to any rat or mouse. Raccoons are probably the most commonly observed wild mammal, for they delight in raiding garbage cans. With their pretty long fur and cute black masks, you might be tempted to pet a raccoon, or to let your dog or cat play with it.