OPOSSUM

The opossum belongs to a prehistoric mammalian family that goes back to the Cretaceous. It has a long prehensile tail, front feet that more nearly resemble hands, and a pouch on the female where young animals are carried for several weeks. The fur is grayish white but the ears and tail of the animal are naked. Captain John Smith in 1612 described the marsupial as follows: "An opossum hath an head like a Swine, a taile like a Rat, and is of the bigness of a Cat. Under the belly she hath a bagge wherein she lodgeth, carrieth and sucketh her young."

When caught, the opossum will sometimes feign death. With teeth drawn back from lips and tongue hanging out, it will submit to handling, pushing and prodding as if in a trance. Just as soon as the captor relaxes though, the little fellow rouses and quickly makes a break for freedom.

A scavenger, the opossum will eat anything it happens across. Persimmons, poke berries and blackberries are favorite fruits; ants, crickets, grasshoppers, rodents, fish, or carrion make up the rest of its diet. It stores up fat in its body to live on when it hibernates during extremely cold weather.

Even though thousands of pelts are taken by trappers each season and many more animals fall victim to speeding cars, the interesting animal continues to hold its own in civilization.

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