Amazingly Marvelous Marsupials! Part 9 - Final

1. The Virginia opossum is a marsupial native to Central and North America, found from Costa Rica to Canada. It is the only marsupial in the U. S. and Canada. Nocturnal and solitary, it eats insects, small animals, eggs, and carrion, and often raids trash cans. The phrase "playing possum" refers to its tactic of pretending to be dead when threatened. Have you ever seen one of these critters "playing possum"?

2. While often used interchangeably, opossums are New World marsupials from the Americas with bare tails, pointed snouts, and coarse fur (like the Virginia opossum), whereas possums are Old World marsupials from Australia/New Guinea with furry tails and thick coats (like the brushtail possum); the American "possum" is just a shortened name for the "opossum". Essentially, the presence or absence of that initial 'o' denotes continents and distinct evolutionary paths for these marsupials. Were you aware of these differences between opossums and possums before this survey?