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March 03, 2005 - Opossum: our own marsupialOfficial Newspaper of Southold Town Opossum: our own marsupial Focus on Nature By Paul Stoutenburgh We saw two dead opossums along the roadside the other day; it gave us a hint the mating game was in full swing. It's when we have a mild spell during the winter that these night rovers begin to move about. As early as February opossums start looking for mates, which accounts for their wanderings, which often take them to the highway, where they meet disaster. A full -grown opossum is about the size of a big cat. It has a long, pointed snout ending in a pink nose. Opossums are not particularly good - looking animals. Their rat- like tail, long and scaly, is often used to hold on to tree limbs when climbing. Their ears and toes are furless. All this makes the animal somewhat untidy looking. Yet it must be doing something right, for it is one of the oldest and most primitive animals in North America. It can trace its heritage back 70 million years or more. These young opossums are just about ready to be on their own. After spending time in their mother's pouch and then riding along on her back for a while, the time has come to do their own scavenging. Times /Review photos by Paul Stoutenburgh Opossums are prolific breeders. In the south they'll have two, possibly three broods, while up north there is usually only one. Males often have more than one mate and they do nothing to help in rearing the young. The opossum young are born 12 to 13 days after conception. Can you believe that, 12 to 13 days after conception? When born, these tiny embryos are about the size of a honeybee. The female gives birth to as many as 18 of these bee -sized baby opossums. Can you imagine these tiny, naked embryos, blind and deaf, working their way up through the mother's fur to reach the pouch, where they nurse for the next six or so weeks? Sad to say, most of the young will die before they ever reach the safety of the pouch. After 50 to 60 days, they venture out and stay another four to six weeks with their mother, clinging to her back and riding along as she plods about looking for food. These are learning days for the young. What a sight to see these rat -sized young clinging to their mother's back as she waddles about. The opossum is the only marsupial found on the North American continent. A marsupial, like the kangaroo of Australia, raises its young in a pouch. The opossum can be found as far south as Florida and as far north as southern Canada, all east of the Rocky Mountains. Opossums can be found almost anywhere: in the city, in suburbia or right here in your back yard. It's at home almost anywhere it can find food and a place to hide. I once found one in our woodpile. It was all curled up in a bed of leaves. Seeing I had disturbed it, it got up and waddled off giving me but a parting glance. Years ago we had a dog named Hickory and each night we'd let her out just before we went to bed. She'd let us know when she wanted to come in by scratching on the door. Those scratch marks are still there even though they've been covered over by many coats of paint. The Suffolk Times I Opossum: our own marsupial Page 2 of 2 On occasion we'd hear her bark outside, which meant she had treed a raccoon or an opossum. If she caught either one on the ground she'd do her best to chase the raccoon off, knowing all too well from past experiences you don't mess with raccoons. But the opossum she'd grab and shake until she thought she had killed it. There she'd leave it, satisfied she'd done her duty in protecting the chickens. In other cases, the dog might chase the opossum up a tree, where it would wait until we called the dog in and the danger had passed. Opossums are best known for this act of "playing dead." Captain John Smith first used the name opossum in Western culture in 1608. It comes from the Algonquin name "apasum," which means "white animal" Today it is often shortened to "possum," as in "playing possum," meaning "playing dead." When opossums go through such traumatic ordeals it's thought they go into a coma or some kind of mental breakdown that puts them in a dead - looking mode. This seems to satisfy the attacker, like our dog, who turns and leaves what he thinks is a dead opossum. When the danger is past, the opossum revives itself and waddles off, a bit ruffled up. But this soon passes and it's off on its endless search for food. Opossums do not hibernate. Uke the raccoons, they find a protected spot wl iere they can conserve their energy and stay until it warts up, then it's once main up and out searching for food. Opossums must stay in their protected hideouts in r:f- riieiy coid weather because of their vulnerability to frostbite, seeing that the cat s, tc;:s arid twit are bare skin and not protected by fur. Opossums have a keen sense of smell, which probably accounts for them being around our place. We've always had chickens, and eggs are one of the opossum's favorite foods. As a matter of fact, they enjoy a full course meat or not only hilt also chicken. Of course, they'll eat just about anything, from bugs to skig +; to -tuje4s tr, any kind of fruit or vegetable. They'll never go hungry, for it is always st,nic"hing to be found, whether it is in your garage, where you set out food for your dog, or out in the farmer's field, where they enjoy the ripening produce. Yet with all its faults and untidy looks, we have to give the opossum a place in the scheme of things. l just wish it would stay away from my chickens. P.S. — Now is a good time to get out and cut some forsythia to force into bloom 1 your home. We have a large bouquet and it brightens up these cold winter days. © 2005 Times - Review Newspapers http: / /www2.timesreview.com/ST /community /309574663453473.php 3/9/2005 The Suffolk Times • March 3, 2005 possum: our own marsu ial WE sAw TWO DEAD opossums along the roadside the other day; it gave us a hint the mating game was in full swing. It's when we have a mild spell during the winter that these night rovers begin to move about. As early as Febru- ary opossums start looking for mates, which accounts for their wanderings, which often take them to the high- FOCUS way, where they O N meet disaster. A full-grown NATURE opossum is about by Pa u I the size of a big cat. It has a long, Stoutenburgh pointed snout - Times /Review photos by Paul stoutenburgh These young opossums are just about ready to be on their own. After spend- ending in a pink nose. Opossums are not particularly ing time in their mother's pouch and then riding along on her back for a while, the time has come to do their own scavenging. good - looking animals. Their rat -like tail, long and scaly, is often used to hold on to tree limbs when climbing. Their ears and toes are furless. All this makes the animal somewhat untidy looking. Yet it must be doing something right, are about the size of a honeybee. The for it is one of the oldest and most primitive animals in North America. It female gives birth to as many as 18 of can trace its heritage back 70 million these bee -sized baby opossums. Can you imagine these tiny, naked embryo years or more. Opossums are prolific breeders. In blind and deal; working their way up through the mother's fur to reach the the south they'll have two, possibly pouch, where they nurse for the next three broods, while up north there is six or so weeks? Sad to say, most of the usually only one. Males often have young will die before they ever reach more than one mate and they do noth- the safety of the pouch. ing to help in rearing the young. The After 50 to 60 days, they venture out opossum young are born 12 to 13 days and stay another four to six weeks with after conception. Can you believe that their mother, clinging to her back and 12 to 13 days after conception? riding along as she plods about looking When born, these tiny embryos for food. These are learning days for the young. What a sight to see these at -sized young clinging to their moth= er's back as she waddles about. The opossum is the only marsupial found on the North American conti- nent. A marsupial, like the kangaroo of Australia, raises its young in a pouch. The opossum can be found as far south as Florida and as far north as south- ern Canada, all east of the Rocky Mountains. Opos- sums can be found almost anywhere: in the city, in The opposum suburbia or right here in can trace its your back yard. It's at home almost an ywhere it can find heritage back food and a place to hide. 70 million I once found one in our woodpile. It was all curled years or more. up in a bed of leaves. Seeing 1 had dis- turbed it, it got up and waddled off giv ing me but a parting glance Years ago we had a dog named Hickory and each night we'd let her out just before we went to bed. She'd let us know when she wanted to come in by scratching on the door. Those scratch marks are still there even though they've been covered over by many coats of paint. On occasions we'd hear her bark outside, which meant she had treed a raccoon or an opossum. If she caught either one on the ground she'd do her best to chase the raccoon ofi know_ ing all too well from past experiences you don't mess with raccoons. But the 3possum she'd grab and shake until she thought she had killed it. There she'd leave it, satisfied she'd done her duty in protecting the chickens. In other cases, the dog might chase the Opossum up a tree, where it would wai until we called the dog in and the dan- ger had passed. Opossums are best known for this act of "playing dead." Captain John Smith first used the name opossum in Western culture in 1608. It comes from the Algonquin name "apasum," which means "white animal." Today it is often shortened to "possum," as in "playing Possum," meaning "playing dead." When opossums go through such traumatic ordeals it's thought they go into a coma or some kind of mental breakdown that puts them in a dead - looking mode. This seems to satisfy the attacker, like our dog, who turns and leaves what he thinks is a dead opos- sum. When the danger is past, the opos sum revives itself and waddles ofi a bit ruffled up. But this soon passes and it's off on its endless search for food. Opossums do not hibernate. Like the raccoons, they find a protected spot where they can conserve their energy and stay until it warms up, then it's once again up and out searching for food. Opossums must stay in their protected hideouts in extremely cold weather because of their vulnerability to frostbite, seeing that the ears, toes and tail are bare skin and not protected by fur. Opossums have a keen sense of smell, which proba- bly accounts for them being around our place. We've al- ways had chickens, and eggs are one of the opossum's favorite foods. As a matter of fact, they enjoy a full course meal of not only eggs but also chicken. Of course, they'll eat just about anything, from bugs to slugs to snails to any kind of fruit or vegetable. They'll never go hungry, for there is always something to be found, whether it is in Your garage, where you set out food for your dog, or out in the farmer's field, where they enjoy the ripening produce. Yet with all its faults and untidy looks, we have to give the opossum a place in the scheme of things. I just wish it would stay away from my chickens. P.S. — Now is a good time to get out and cut some forsythia to force into bloom in your home. We have a large bouquet and it brightens up these cold