Didelphis virginiana-Virginia Opossum

© Greg Hanisek – (INaturalist)

The Virginia opossum is the only marsupial native to the United States. It is a common species and is well known for being found in close proximity to humans. They are famous for "playing dead" where they will lay perfectly still to deter predators.

## **Size**

Virginia Opossums have a head and body length of 14.5-17.75 inches (37-45 cm), with a 11-14.5 inch (28-37cm) tail. They weigh 2-15.5 pounds (1-7 kg). Males are usually larger and heavier than females.

## **Description**

These American Marsupials are roughly house cat sized with a rat-like appearance. Their body has grizzled gray-white fur, with a mix of dark-gray and white guard hairs, with white hair typically being longer. The belly is a white or yellowish color. Some individuals may appear black, cinnamon-colored, or albino. They have dark legs and feet. Their head and throat are typically white, with dark and naked ears and a naked pinkish snout. Only species in our region with a naked, prehensile tail. Has 5 toed feet, with all toes clawed, excluding a toe on the back foot having an opposable thumb which can be used to grabbing.

## **Subspecies**

Three subspecies are found in the southern USA.

* ***Didelphis* *virginiana* *californica* (Bennett, 1833)**

Found in southern Texas.

* ***Didelphis* *virginiana* *pigra* (Bangs, 1898)**

Found in Georgia, Florida, and the Gulf Coast states.

* ***Didelphis* *virginiana* *virginiana* (Kerr, 1792)**

Found in much of the Eastern USA. They are also introduced into Idaho, western Colorado, British Columbia, and Baja California.

## **Range**

This marsupial is found throughout much of the eastern and central USA ranging north to southern Ontario, also south to Costa Rica in Central America. This species is also widely introduced in the western USA, especially along the Pacific Coast. Since the arrival of Europeans in the USA, the range of the Virginia Opossum has expanded north with the help of human urbanization. Their range was once limited to the north at Kentucky and Ohio, but has now spread into Canada and New England.

## **Range in South**

Found throughout the southern USA excluding only the driest regions of the Trans-Pecos in western Texas.

## **Habitat**

Found in Oldfields, forests, agricultural areas, roadsides, suburbs, and urban regions. While in the southern U.S. they are found in a wide variety of habitats, in the northern areas of their range they tend to be limited to low-elevation areas, commonly in urban environments. In these northern regions they depend on houses, barns, and sheds to survive the harsh winters.

## **Behavior**

Virginia Opossums are nocturnal, but are sometime active by day in the winter. When walking, it showcases a clumsy waddling gait, holding its tail slightly above body-level. These animals climb well, using their prehensile tail to their advantage. While they often escape up trees when pursued, they may also "play dead". They pull off this feat by lying on their side, with their tongue out, drooling, with their eyes either opened or closed. This species typically creates leaf nests in hollow logs, fallen trees, in rocks, or in burrows made by other animals. Virginia Opossums' home range varies greatly depending on the region and habitat, ranging from less than half an acre all the way to 233 acres. Male's home ranges are typically larger than female's home ranges. These opossums were once thought to be nomadic, but are now known to stay in a relatively constant home range throughout their lifetime. Although Virginia Opossums fatten up in fall, they do not hibernate. Thus during cold winters, especially in the northern areas of its range, they are very susceptible to frostbite, primarily on their hairless tail and ears.

## **Reproduction**

Female Virginia opossums reach sexual maturity at around 6 months of age. Some females may have 2 or 3 litters in per year, and mating takes place between January and August. Virginia Opossums can give live birth to 5 to over 20 tiny young, however 7-9 young is most common. The young born after a 11-12 day gestation period.. When the young are born they are tiny (roughly the size of a bumblebee), naked, blind, and practically helpless. Once born, these young will trek through their mother's fur into her abdominal pouch. Here they will attach to their mother's nipple, which then swells in their mouth, securing them in place for the following 2 months for them to grow and develop. If the number of young produced exceeds the number of teats of the mother (13), those excess young will die. During the young's third month of life, they begin to ride on their mother's back, only returning to the pouch to nurse. Once the young are fully weaned they will become independent and leave their mother, this takes place no later than 4 months from birth.

## **Diet**

Virginia Opossums are Omnivores and will eat almost anything edible. They feed on a wide variety of plant and animal foods, ranging from small mammals, birds, insects, and carrion, to leaves, fruit, grasses, and seeds. They have been known to raid henhouses and eat human garbage.

## **Predation and Lifespan**

Mortality is high for these animals in their first year of life. Some known predators they face are foxes, large owls, coyotes, domestic dogs, raccoons, bobcats, large snakes, and humans. It is noted however that Virginia Opossums have adapted to be immune to the venom of multiple American vipers, including the diamondback rattlesnakes and the cottonmouth. These animals also commonly fall victim to becoming roadkill. Besides roadkill, humans also kill these animals for their fur and their meat, especially in the south. Virginia Opossums live up to 2 years, while in captivity they live around 3-4 years, with reports of captive opossums living up to 10 years of age.

## **Status**

Listed as Least Concern by the IUCN (2016) with a increasing population globally. In the southern USA, the Virginia Opossum is a very common species, and is listed as secure across our region by NatureServe (2022). However in the states of North Dakota and Colorado it is considered critically imperiled.

## **References**

1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 [Reid, F. A. (2006). *A field guide to mammals of North America*. Houghton Mifflin Company.]
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 [Schmidly, D. J., Bradley, R. D. (2016). *The Mammals of Texas, Online Edition.* University of Texas Press. https://www.depts.ttu.edu/nsrl/mammals-of-texas-online-edition/index.php
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 [Bowers, N., Bowers, R., & Kaufmann, K. (2004). Field guide to mammals of North America. Houghton Mifflin.]
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 [Whitaker, J. O. (1996). *The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American mammals*. Knopf.]
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 [Kays, R., & Wilson, D. E. (2009). *Mammals of North America*. Princeton University Press.]
6. ↑ [Murie, O. J., & Elbroch, M. (2005). *Peterson Field Guide to Animal Tracks*. Houghton Mifflin.]
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 [GBIF. (2022). *Didelphis virginiana Kerr, 1792*. https://www.gbif.org/species/2439923]
8. ↑ [ITIS. (2022). *Didelphis virginiana Kerr, 1792*. https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search\_topic=TSN&search\_value=179921#null]
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 [Wilson, D. E., & Ruff, S. (1999). The smithsonian book of north american mammals. Smithsonian Institution Press in association with the American Society of Mammalogists.]
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 [IUCN (2015). *Didelphis virginiana*. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/40502/22176259]
11. ↑ 11.00 11.01 11.02 11.03 11.04 11.05 11.06 11.07 11.08 11.09 11.10 [Martina, L. S. (2013). *Didelphis virginiana (Virginia opossum)*. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Didelphis\_virginiana/]
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 [NatureServe Explorer. (2022). *Didelphis virginiana*. https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT\_GLOBAL.2.106143/Didelphis\_virginiana]