OUR VOLUNTEERS LOVE WORKING WITH THE HOMELY OPOSSUM!

We have rehabilitated and released several opossums that had been victims of ignorance, cruelty, and abuse. One had been beaten with a shovel by a woman who feared he would harm her. Children had shot another of these harmless creatures with darts; a neighbor intervened brought the wounded and stunned animal to Safe Haven.

Opossums are not destructive and do not harm people or pets. They are not commonly known to carry rabies or distemper. If you come upon an opossum by surprise, simply walk away, leave him alone and give him time to escape.

The Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana)

• Opossums are marsupials, mammals with a pouch, dating back 73 million years.
   
• Born after a gestation of only 13 days, the underdeveloped young make their way to the mother’s pouch, where they nurse for approximately 72 days. Afterwards the babies stay close to the mother, often hitching a ride on her back.
   
• Opossums are on their own by 4 months of age. Adults are generally solitary.
   
• Although they have poor eyesight, they have very good hearing and sense of smell.
   
• They benefit the environment by eating insects, carrion, shrews and moles. They do not raid chicken coops. They use their tails as a fifth hand. Female opossums prepare their nests by transporting small piles of leaves in their tails.
   
• Their back feet have opposable thumbs.
   
• Although they are usually very hardy, they have a tendency to hide their pain and symptoms from illness or injury.
   
• They are unusually resistant to snake venom.
   
• Opossums survive in the wild for only 1 to 2 years. Their worst enemies are predators and man.

The tiniest infant opossums are tube-fed, since they don't nurse well from a bottle. This allows exact feeding amounts and ensures proper nutrition.

In June 2004 we assisted an injured mother opossum and her family. In the two photos below, one of the babies is working his way into the pouch.

These babies have just begun lapping up milk on their own. The littlest one was a bit wobbly & went face first into the milk. The older babies have mastered feeding from a bowl, although sometimes they appear to be giving themselves a "milk facial."

These young opossums are investigating a watermelon "Gut"ter Ball. Visit our Environmental Enrichment page to learn how animals at Safe Haven benefit from such activities.

Why do they “play possum”?

• The opossum's first defense is to "freeze."
• They move on to drooling, then showing their teeth.
• Finally, they use their infamous trick of “playing possum" in the hope that whatever is threatening them will go away.