The first written record of the Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) was in 1610 in Jamestown, Virginia. The story goes that John Smith, upon seeing a Opossum for the first time, asked one of his Native American guides what the animal was. The guide told him that it was an "Apasum", an Algonquian Indian word meaning "white animal". This "white animal" was the Virginia Opossum, the only marsupial in North America.

The Opossum is known as a marsupial because the female carries and nurses the young in a pouch until they are about two to three months old. After they have been weaned, they will be carried on the mother's back for about one to two months when away from the den. During this time, the young are learning crucial survival skills such as finding food sources, and predator avoidance. If any of the young become separated from the mother during this time, it will make a 'sneezing' sound to call her, and the mother will answer with a 'clicking' sound. The young will stay with the mother until they are about 4 ½ to 5 months old and then will break off on their own.

Breeding season for the Opossum is between January and August and gestation is about 11-13 days. The average litter size is about 8 to 9 young, and female Opossums can have 1 to 3 litters per year. When born, the baby Opossums weigh about 0.16 grams and are so small that you could fit them into a teaspoon! The infants will continue to develop inside their mother's pouch until they are weaned.

As adults, Opossums measure about 15-20 inches and weigh 9-13 lbs. They have a heavy set body that looks a bit like a large house cat, but they have a long head with a pointed snout. They have long whiskers on their face and have 50 teeth, more than any other land mammal in North America. The Opossum also have a long, tapered, prehensile tail that is used for grasping branches, balancing, and carrying nesting material. The Opossum usually does not hang upside down by its tail, as is commonly seen in pictures and movies, but they do have opposable thumbs on the hind feet for holding on to branches.

Opossums are solitary and nocturnal animals, usually slow moving, and when frightened will fall into an involuntary shock like state that is commonly referred to as "Playing 'Possum". Opossums will do this when extremely frightened and can appear dead. If you find a Opossum that you think is dead, many wildlife rehabilitators recommend placing the animal in an open cardboard box in a secluded, shady area and to check back on the animal in about 4 hours, because they can "Play 'Possum" anywhere from four minutes to four hours! Generally if the Opossum is alive, when it starts to come out of this shock state, it will begin to wiggle its ears; however, if it does not appear to be coming out of the shock (or is really dead), it is a good idea to call a local rescue group that may be able to help you further.

Opossums can be found throughout North America from Central America through Mexico, on both U.S. coasts, and north to Ontario. They have adapted quite well to humans, and people often find them rooting through trash cans that have been left open. This is mostly because Opossums are omnivores and will eat just about anything they can catch. Their diet primarily consists of insects, snails, rodents, berries, over-ripe fruit, grasses, leaves, and even carrion. The Opossum is attracted to the suburban neighborhoods by the availability of water, pet food left out at night, and over-ripe fruit that has fallen from trees. The upside to this is that the Opossum helps to keep neighborhoods clean and free of unwanted and harmful pests and rodents that may carry diseases. This is why the Opossum is affectionately known as "Nature's Little Sanitation Engineer" by the Opossum Society of the United States. In fact, the Rescue Report says that, "A neighborhood with Opossums tends to be cleaner than a neighborhood without them."

The main predators for the Opossum in the wild are coyotes, foxes, large owls (such as the Great Horned Owl), and hawks. Young Opossums may also be preyed upon by snakes and smaller birds of prey, such as falcons. The main suburban threats to the Opossum come from domestic pets, cars, and poisons. Domestic pets (cats and dogs primarily) are the main predator for Opossums in suburban areas, especially for young Opossums. Bites from cats and dogs can cause infections, punctured organs, broken bones, nerve damage, and death. To keep Opossums safe from domestic pets, it is a good idea to keep your pets indoors or in the garage at night.

Many Opossums are also killed on the roads each year, especially during breeding season, and in fact that is how most people see Opossums. To help avoid any "'possumble" crashes, drive slower at night, preferably in the center lane (if there is one), so you will have more time and road space to react if a Opossum crosses in front of you. Also, if you see a dead Opossum in the middle of the road, move them to the side of the road if it is safe to do so and call a local wildlife rehabilitator, veterinarian, or animal shelter for help.

With poisons, many Opossums can suffer very painful deaths from ingesting poison found in yards or in the trash. The best way to keep Opossums from ingesting poisons is just not to use them! Make sure you clean up any spills outside of your house (especially antifreeze spills), and do not use rat poison. When buying fertilizer or insecticides, check the box to see if it is harmful to wildlife. You can also check out the website www.ecomall.com to find environmentally friendly alternatives to pest control and fertilizers.

If we all work together and give our Opossum friends a "brake" when driving, keep our pets indoors, and be smart shoppers, we can ensure that the Opossum will continue to thrive throughout North America.