The Opossum (Part Two)

The first time I saw an opossum was years ago when I used to drive west down 151^st just off Harlem Avenue while en route to a job in Orland Park. There was road construction all over that street and unfortunately, a lot of opossum roadkill. It was literally a version of Death Row. Despite the circumstances, they were beautiful animals. White faces and bodies with dark ears and limbs. They reminded me of the novelty Mickey Mouse ice cream bars with vanilla and chocolate.

Then one night while entering my yard after work, I saw an animal the size of a cat walking through. The tail was furless and I realized it was an opossum. It was the first time I ever saw one in the yard. I hurried inside and told my parents. They got up quickly and went to the window hoping for a glimpse. It was exciting because we were all animal lovers and it was a rare sighting.

A closer encounter was when I had an opossum guest in the house for a couple days because of a cat situation. I was involved in a TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) program years ago. One cat tested positive for FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus). He could not be released and I found a sanctuary in Michigan City, Indiana, willing to take him. In the meantime, he had the run of the basement and unfortunately, he escaped one night when someone let the dogs in.

Efforts to recapture the cat were fruitless when two nights in a row, I caught an opossum instead using up the trapping cage. Both times he was sound asleep, upside down in a ball position, and looked very comfortable. I brought him inside and transferred him to another cage.

The guest opossum was fed fruit, nuts, and dry kibble during his short stay. They are infamous for eating carrion (decaying flesh), which may sound revolting but it plays a part in our ecosystem. According to Wildlife-Education.com opossums are considered to be nature’s sanitation engineers as they also eat garbage, grass, leaves, insects, frogs, small birds, rodents, snakes, and earthworms. Berries, seeds, flowers, persimmons, apples, and corn are considered treats. Better yet, opossums kill and eat about 5,000 ticks (responsible for Lyme disease) per tick season, significantly more than any other mammal.

Opossums are likely to be one of the most underrated animals out there in the wild based on what I’ve heard and what other aficionados say. If people were more educated about them, I would expect a better reaction. Many people compare them to rats because of their furless tail, however, rats are rodents – an entirely different species.

Somewhere along the way, I learned they were in the same genus as kangaroos, koala bears, and wombats, which are native to Australia. They are all marsupials, which have pouches to carry their young. The opossum is the only marsupial in the United States. If that isn’t enough to garner some interest, their skeletons date back to the days of the dinosaur. Ct.gov confirms the opossum has been around for at least 70 million years and is one of the earth’s oldest surviving mammal species.

Furthermore, I was also aware that an opossum’s low body temperature (94 – 97 degrees) does not allow it to be very susceptible to rabies. The Summit County Public Health Department confirms that any wild mammal can carry rabies, however, the rabies virus is fragile under most normal conditions. It is destroyed within a few minutes at temperatures greater than 122°F, and survives no more than a few hours at room temperature.

It is important that we understand the nature of animals including their defense mechanisms. Hissing, growling, or baring their 50 teeth is a scare tactic by opossums. They are generally loners, non-aggressive, non-destructive, and get along with raccoons and cats based on what I’ve observed in my yard.

Opossums are generally slow-moving, which makes them easy prey for dogs, foxes, coyotes, and raptors. (It was likely a dog attack that killed the opossum in Part One of this story.) However, many wildlife websites reiterate that humans and vehicles are the biggest threat to opossums.

According to SkedaddleWildlife.com, “playing opossum” or dead, is an involuntary shock-like state they go into when frightened. This natural defense mechanism consists of falling over, mouth hanging open, drooling, blank-staring eyes, and emitting a foul odor from their anus to ward off predators. This comatose state can last for hours. 

A favorite book, America’s Favorite Wildlife (Kit & George Harrison), states that opossums build nests in tree hollows mostly using leaves and their tail carries materials. However, they will nest anywhere they find convenient such as brush piles, culverts, under porches, etc. They don’t have a regular den site they return to as they are transient by nature. A temporary exception to this is a new mom.

Opossums continue to be a big delight to me because I don’t see many in my area, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t there. They are nocturnal; however, I recently had a junior visitor in the daytime when the weather was much colder. This is not unusual with younger animals or if food is scarce. Finally, a-z-animals.com reports that the oldest opossum on record was four years and five months in captivity, while they only live a mere one-to-two years in the wild. When I’m lucky enough to see one walking, I will wish it the best as it ambles off on its short journey.