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Animals of the world


THE NARROW-HEADED SLENDER OPOSSUM

The narrow-headed slender opossum (Marmosops cracens) is a species of opossum in
the family Didelphidae. It is endemic to Venezuela.

By Tovarcityy via Wikimedia Commons

By Marsu Pilami 1d ago

The opossum (/əˈpɒsəm/) is a marsupial of the order Didelphimorphia
(/daɪˌdɛlfɪˈmɔːrfiə/) endemic to the Americas. The largest order of marsupials
in the Western Hemisphere, it comprises 103 or more species in 19 genera.
Opossums originated in South America and entered North America in the Great
American Interchange following the connection of the two continents. Their
unspecialized biology, flexible diet, and reproductive habits make them
successful colonizers and survivors in diverse locations and conditions.

By Tovarcityy via Wikimedia Commons


The word "opossum" is borrowed from the Powhatan language and was first recorded
between 1607 and 1611 by John Smith (as opassom) and William Strachey (as
aposoum).[4] Both men encountered the language at the British settlement of
Jamestown, Virginia, which Smith helped to found and where Strachey later served
as its first secretary.[5] Strachey's notes describe the opossum as a "beast in
bigness of a pig and in taste alike," while Smith recorded it "hath an head like
a swine ... tail like a rat ... of the bigness of a cat."[5] The Powhatan word
ultimately derives from a Proto-Algonquian word (*wa·p-aʔθemwa) meaning "white
dog or dog-like beast."

The sum is also commonly known as a possum, particularly in the Southern United
States and Midwest. Following the arrival of Europeans in Australia, the term
"possum" was borrowed to describe distantly related Australian marsupials of the
suborder Phalangeriformes,[6] which are more closely related to other Australian
marsupials such as kangaroos.




CHARACTERISTICS

Didelphimorphs are small to medium-sized marsupials that grow to the size of a
house cat. They tend to be semi-arboreal omnivores, although there are many
exceptions. Most members of this taxon have long snouts, a narrow braincase, and
a prominent sagittal crest. The dental formula is: 5.1.3.4 / 4.1.3.4. By
mammalian standards, this is an unusually full jaw. The incisors are very small,
the canines large, and the molars are tricuspid.

Didelphimorphs have a plantigrade stance (feet flat on the ground) and the hind
feet have an opposable digit with no claw. Like some New World monkeys, opossums
have prehensile tails. Like all marsupials, the fur consists of awn hair only,
and the females have a pouch. The tail and parts of the feet bear scutes. The
stomach is simple, with a small cecum.[8] Like most marsupials, the male opossum
has a forked penis bearing twin glandes.

Although all living opossums are essentially opportunistic omnivores, different
species vary in the amount of meat and vegetation they include in their diet.
Members of the Caluromyinae are essentially frugivorous; whereas the lutrine
opossum and Patagonian opossum primarily feed on other animals.[11] The yapok
(Chironectes minimus) is particularly unusual, as it is the only living
semi-aquatic marsupial, using its webbed hindlimbs to dive in search of
freshwater mollusks and crayfish.[12] The extinct Thylophorops, the largest
known opossum at 4-7 kilos, was a macropredator.[13][14][15] Most opossums are
scansorial, well-adapted to life in the trees or on the ground, but members of
the Caluromyinae and Glironiinae are primarily arboreal, whereas species of
Metachirus, Monodelphis, and to a lesser degree Didelphis show adaptations for
life on the ground.


BEHAVIOR

Opossums are usually solitary and nomadic, staying in one area as long as food
and water are easily available. Some families will group together in ready-made
burrows or even under houses. Though they will temporarily occupy abandoned
burrows, they do not dig or put much effort into building their own. As
nocturnal animals, they favor dark, secure areas. These areas may be below
ground or above.

When threatened or harmed, they will "play possum", mimicking the appearance and
smell of a sick or dead animal. This physiological response is involuntary (like
fainting), rather than a conscious act. In the case of baby opossums, however,
the brain does not always react this way at the appropriate moment, and
therefore they often fail to "play dead" when threatened. When an opossum is
"playing possum", the animal's lips are drawn back, the teeth are bared, saliva
foams around the mouth, the eyes close or half-close, and a foul-smelling fluid
is secreted from the anal glands. The stiff, curled form can be prodded, turned
over, and even carried away without reaction. The animal will typically regain
consciousness after a period of a few minutes to four hours, a process that
begins with slight twitching of the ears.

Some species of opossums have prehensile tails, although dangling by the tail is
more common among juveniles. An opossum may also use its tail as a brace and a
fifth limb when climbing. The tail is occasionally used as a grip to carry
bunches of leaves or bedding materials to the nest.[30] A mother will sometimes
carry her young upon her back, where they will cling tightly even when she is
climbing or running.

Threatened opossums (especially males) will growl deeply, raising their pitch as
the threat becomes more urgent. Males make a clicking "smack" noise out of the
side of their mouths as they wander in search of a mate, and females will
sometimes repeat the sound in return. When separated or distressed, baby
opossums will make a sneezing noise to signal their mother. If threatened, the
baby will open its mouth and quietly hiss until the threat is gone.

Jada Yuan is the 52 Places Traveler columnist, traveling to each and every place
on our 52 Places to Go in 2018 list. Her next stop will be Chattanooga, Tenn.



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