The opossum

1. The opossum Jam Apel

2. Table of Contents • All About The Opossum 2. Opossum vs. Possum! • Effects of High Oxygen • Loactions • The Life of an Opossum • Summary • Glossary • Bibliography

3. All About The Opossum Fact: Opossums can NOT hang from their tails. The opossum is a native, omnivorous rodent to North America. They are common, but rarely seen, as they are nocturnal. Their physical features are; long and slender, have various dark colors, guard hairs and under hair, they are marsupials, and their tail is prehensile. They use their sharp teeth to scare off their predators, which include dogs, foxes and owls. They are hunted for their fur, and their edible skin. Often road kill. One of the opossum's survival adaptations is their eating habits. They survive off of eggs and young of fellow creatures, kill sleeping poultry and scavenger. They do not hibernate, so this makes their survival chances in winter decrease. More survival adaptations include how they are excellent swimmers, immune to many viral diseases, they “play possum”, resistant to snake venom. Opossums are very slow moving creatures, and they are experts at hiding. They only come together in mating season. Opossums reproduce very rapidly. Breeding begins in February, and most young are born within two weeks of breeding. 10-20 offspring, and they stay in their mother’s pouch for 1-3 months and after that, they climb onto their mothers’ back when leaving the den.

4. Opossum vs. Possum! The opossum is commonly mistaken for its relative the possum. The two have many physical features in common, but here is a comparison of the two rodents. The Opossum The Possum • pronounced UH-pahs-suhm • From the Didelphiche family • Native to North America • pronounced pah-suhm • Discovered by James Cook in 1770. • From the Phalangeridae family • Native to Australia A possum and an opossum are similar in that they are both warm-blooded rodents and that they have many physical characteristics in common.

5. Effects Of High Oxygen in Pouch Immediately after a baby is born, it is placed in it’s mothers’ pouch for 75-80 days (if it is not premature.) There is generally a controlled amount of oxygen levels in the pouch. But what happens when there’s not? Oxygen concentration can cause the opossum young to develop oxygen poisoning in their lungs, and brain. It can also cause many neurological diseases. It has been scientifically proven.

6. Locations Opossums are located in eastern, central, and west coast states. Since 1900 they have expanded their range northward in the eastern United States. They are absent from the Rockies, most western plains states, and parts of the northern United States.

7. The Life of an Opossum First, opossums meet once a year, for mating season, in February. They generally survive alone (excluding their young.) The opossum give birth usually two weeks after mating season. After birth, the young are put into their mothers’ pouch (they’re marsupials.) Then they stay there for about 1-3 months. After that, they are carried on their mothers’ back and tail when they leave the den. They generally leave their homes about 3-4 months after birth. The opossums’ life span is about four years. Then, they are generally killed by predators or road-kill.

8. Summary The opossum is a native American, nocturnal rodent. They generally live alone. They have many young. They live for about 4 years. They have a lot of survival adaptations. Opossums are often mistaken for their relative the possum.

9. Glossary omnivorous- eating both animal and plant foods prehensile- adapted for seizing, grasping, or taking hold of something: a prehensile tail viral- of, pertaining to, or caused by a virus concentration- the amount of a specified substance in a unit amount of another substance. marsupial- any viviparous, nonplacental mammal of the order Marsupialia, comprising the opossums, kangaroos, wombats, and bandicoots ,the females of most species having a marsupium containing the mammary glands and serving as a receptacle for the young. neurological- the science of the nerves and the nervous system, esp. of the diseases affecting them.

10. Bibliography 1. Opossum Facts: Physical Characteristics, Behavior, Defenses& Survival url: biology.clc.edu/students/114-sum98-opossums/char-ben-def-adpt.htm 2. The Opossum url: scienceview.com/animals/opossum 3. Opossum vs. Possum url: ppdl.purdue.edu/ppdl/expert/possums 4. The Effect of High Concentrations on Opossum Pouch Young url: www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/1094960/abstract 5. Opossum url: animals.nationalgeographic.com/mammals/opossum