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Project Noah Nature School
Didelphis virginiana
Spotted on Jan 13, 2008
Submitted on Jun 8, 2011
11 Comments
Fun fact! Virginia opossums playing dead actually slip into a semi-comatose state, thereby removing any excitement of the kill for a predator. They use a number of other tactics to evade predation including foaming at the mouth (fooling potential predators into thinking the animal is sick) and spray an offensive smelling green anal musk.
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Waw what a great shot! They are really beautifull creatures.
Lovely photo & really interesting info! Unfortunately most of these guys we see here are road kill.
Ok thanks! I wasn't sure what was up :) I will try to add the links from now on. I'm still new at this, but I'm a little addicted :-/ haha!
Yes, I was just posting the link, and that's the only way I saw how to do it. I hope people will look these guys up. They are really unique creatures. I recently read a chunk of de Vaca's journey in the New World where he described seeing a marsupial. I was surprised how many in my class thought it was a kangaroo, because they just didn't know about the opossum. What is funny is that their "playing dead" is them actually passing out from fright.
Thanks! Isn't that the ID I already have MatthewMason?
Fantastic shot.
Beautiful picture!
Say thanks to your cousin!!
Thanks! Technically since it's a mammal it is warm blooded, but it is true that their body temp is too low for them to be a good rabies vector and they are pretty safe. One got under a press where I was working and I had to get it out, it was just a little baby and got covered in oil. The people freaked and holler rabies. I tried to explain but some people are silly. My cousin actually rehabs possums so I know all about orphans!
i love this pic!
These animals are cold blooded and do not carry rabies. OK to have them in your backyard. Marsupials. usually play dead when they see a predator.Unfortunately they do the same in oncoming traffic too!
Local museum always advices to check for babies in pouches of dead opossum. They usually take the orphaned babies in.