It does not hestitate to feed on carrion and is often encountered searching for dead animals along roadways. Opossums are active year-round but often den up when the weather is extremely cold. They will utilize just about any sheltered location for a den including hollows in trees and fallen logs, rock cavities, brush piles, and the burrows of other animals. Denning sites are changed frequently. The opossum uses its prehensile tail to bring nesting material such as leaves, grass, and other material into the den.
Opossums begin breeding in late winter and early spring.
Two to three litters a year are born after a gestation period of only 12 to 13 days. The young are largely undeveloped at birth except for their mouth and front legs. They crawl along a pathway licked by the mother from the genital opening to the pouch and then attach themselves to one of the teats, which usually average 13 in number. Litters often number more than the available teats. Those young failing to find a teat will perish.