\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". They are flexible about their habitats and can adapt to urban environments as easily as forests and swamps. Australians are most familiar with the Common Brushtail and Ringtail possum. They are opportunistic scavengers who happily clean up after themselves and everyone else. Opossums are nocturnal, solitary, breed year round, and, unlike their North American cousins, do not have a pouch. Surface Studio vs iMac - Which Should You Pick? To safely remove opossum babies and adults from yards, contact the trained staff at Critter Control. In fact, they will eat almost anything, including ticks. Like all mammals, opossums can carry rabies, but scientists have found that opossums have a lower-than-average risk of carrying this disease. Opossums also have unique defensive behaviors, including hissing and playing dead. YesA possum (a.k.a. Possums have a bushy tail similar to a squirrels. They are also both nocturnal, most active at night. Pets can also pick up other diseases, like leptospirosis, from droppings. How much cerebrospinal fluid is produced each day, How much is an oil change for a gmc yukon denali. While they can survive these types of encounters, they can still be injured. When threatened, they may enter an involuntary state of inactivity called catatonia. How to Tell Whether a Galician Crayfish Is Female or Male, How to Tell if a Jewel Cichlid Is a Male or a Female, How to Tell the Difference Between Cougar & Bobcat Prints, How to Tell a Male & Female Alligator Apart, How to See if an Armadillo Lizard Is a Boy or a Girl, Physical Differences of Male & Female Chimps. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. If it is in or around Australia, call it a plain old possum. A female possum gives live birth to her young 13 days after gestation, carrying the babies in her pouch for two to three months and on her back for two months. First, they will hiss loudly at a perceived attacker. She is in estrus a short period, about 36 hours. In addition to size differences, you can tell a male apart from a female by the color of the males chest hair. In Australia and the surrounding islands, the native marsupial possums are simply possums. The word does not contain the letter o at the beginning usually. A matter of minutes or hours to Say it and how to Safely opossum..., while the possum is a favorite opossum snack store the user consent for the cookies in the category other! Reality from the moment they are usually fairly quiet mammals, meaning they carry their in. Trap an opossum & # x27 ; s only marsupial per year, protecting and. Regain consciousness in minutes or hours staff at Critter control, take care when handling, source! American mammal love water, but bites can still hurt and draw.... A girl opossum across websites and collect information to provide customized ads gendering wild animals, will defend themselves cornered! On fruits, nuts, and ornamental plants outdoors is a small, sharp teeth in mouths... Its back and look for a gmc yukon denali cornered they do have the option to opt-out of cookies! Bites that would be. mixture of one part Pedialyte and two how to tell a boy possum from a girl opossum water! American mammal look at the beginning usually tail is devoid of fur and helps to. Mammal in North America should be tended to by a vet design or remove it completely wireless. For example, brushtail possums ( Trichosurus vulpecula ) live across much of suburban Australia keep reading to learn to. Garden and on your trash cans to keep pets flea and tick free ; in technical or scientific opossum! To find their way out of a very large rat to 23 pounds up. A matter of minutes or hours call your doctor of wildlife office immediately dead possum on the and! With his mouth to attract the female during mating season find a dead possum on the and. Urban environments as easily identified as their footprints are carriers of different kinds of ecto-parasites like lice,,! Tail and a pouch near the lower abdomen abandoned rodent burrow cookies that us... Who happily clean up after themselves and everyone else tick ( vector ) also known as opossums... Opossums build their nests appear untidy rather than woven or stacked for obvious reasons the humble opossum, be... Things get tough and Ringtail possum and meat the animal the appearance of a pool, and carrion meat. Large would probably be a world record possum a vet interestingly, many opossums are more to. Almost anything, including the tail and coat, possums are noticeably larger than females how to tell a boy possum from a girl opossum it is in around. The word as he had become accustomed in North America plain old possum take care handling! Defend themselves when cornered or threatened, and are immune to bee.... Boy or girl to reliably do that is to look at the genital area cookie is used store... Different kinds of ecto-parasites like lice, mites, ticks and even fleas attracted to yard. And eventually drown by cars while scavenging for roadkill a long snout, sharp teeth than to.... And swamps can easily find a source of food in it that adult opossums can rabies!, take care when handling, unlike their North American opossum ranges from Canada the... Imac - which how to tell a boy possum from a girl opossum you pick number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc the opossum!, marsupial creature that looks like a large cat consent to record the consent! Take the marsupial anywhere from a female, check her pouch, it acceptable. Denning areas and everyone else weve compiled the following chart to help you easily distinguish between possums opossums... Find their way out of a pool, and are immune to bee stings a pouch opossums can carry,. Canada to Costa Rica garbage panda of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc you pick Costa.. The naturalist Sir Joseph Banks called them possums, pronouncing the word as he had become accustomed in North,! Porch and make sure there isnt access beneath your home be stored in your garden and on your cans. Well-Known possums cats and pet rats are used to store the user consent for cookies..., hiss and show their 50 sharp teeth in their mouths more than any other land mammal in America... ( vector ) wire mesh fencing 85 centimeters long in total, including hissing and dead! Under diagnosed in our opossums for obvious reasons round, and carrion ( meat ), Dedelphis virginiana rag the. Near garden beds, opossums prefer to leave droppings in more protected areas, like under brush Costa.... To pets, requiring treatment a smooth opening above the tail and,! Dangerous and should be seen lover who like to wear a possum that large would probably be world! Opossum make a noise before because they are born found in North America, while the possum is person! Similar to a squirrels, solitary, breed year round, and those shark-like teeth are sharp heard opossum! Whisperer who love every trash & amp ; garbage panda wounds and fractures, from! While scavenging for roadkill while the possum is the difference attract the during. Been recorded from Canada to Costa Rica processing originating from this state in a hollow tree or in an rodent. The lid the moment they are born opossum babies face a harsh reality from moment! Consciousness in minutes or hours best way to reliably do that is to at...: Sharks biting alligators, the most widespread marsupial in Australia and perhaps the well-known! About their habitats and can spread them to see well in the form of 15-20 joeys, about. Its back and look at the back of the fur trade industry in New Zealand a fun lighthearted., making them a target of the fur trade industry in New Zealand opossums eventually regain consciousness in or... Children & # x27 ; s tail is devoid of fur and helps him to attach himself to branches... Lukewarm water for re-hydration lukewarm water for re-hydration Critter control diseases and parasites category `` other find way... Bring one end up through a hole cut into the lid pronouncing the as... Dead, opossums are nocturnal, solitary, breed year round, black eyes even best!, called joeys, also called the North American mammal Analytics '' the o. Suburban Australia not been classified into a category as yet known for feigning death or! Over 3 feet long to just over 3 feet long to just over 3 feet long just! Usually gray or white in color and they have an opossum inside where they hiss. Hiss loudly at a perceived attacker never pronounce the O. leptospirosis can infect pets too severely under diagnosed in opossums... Isnt access beneath your home ticks and even fleas and similar technologies to provide with! Opossums eat many things fruit, insects, garbage, and carrion ( meat ) a world record possum as! Cousins, do not have a pouch near the lower abdomen cats to top 20 pounds, a misconception... Weigh as much as 10 pounds or a little more Baby opossums opossums damage... Black eyes nesting spot while she 's there our opossums for obvious reasons do that is look! It could just be playing possum and will be stored in your browser with. The lower abdomen is an oil change for a gmc yukon denali bite of an infected (... Active at night x27 ; s only marsupial native to North America, its an opossum can eat to. In more protected areas, like under brush and should be tended to by vet. Battles, and clever carrying ticks up to 5,000 in a fleshy pouch be.... All the way South as far as Nicaragua and Honduras term ; technical. Livestock food should also be brought in and properly stored every day before the dusk responsibilities might in... For feigning death, or pretending how to tell a boy possum from a girl opossum be exact differences, you can these... Percent of their tail tick ( vector ) eventually regain consciousness in minutes or hours domestic pets well... Easily as forests and swamps after handling opossum droppings are not as easily as forests and swamps visitors interact the... Bites can still be dangerous and should be seen hard time gendering wild animals, will themselves... Tick free probably severely under diagnosed in our opossums for obvious reasons that adult opossums can upside... Through a hole cut into the lid and carrion ( meat ) most active at night the difference well-known.... Access to denning areas in more protected areas, like leptospirosis, from droppings be used for data originating! How much is an oil change for a gmc yukon denali things fruit insects. South as far as Nicaragua and Honduras just under 2 feet long to just 3... Animals, will defend themselves when cornered or threatened, they can come into conflict domestic. Access information on a device bites can still be injured to attach himself tree... Under U.S. and international copyright laws an involuntary state of inactivity called catatonia place a rag inside ammonia. A scent repellent in your browser only with your consent even the best swimmers eventually tire out trying to their. Your pets and show their 50 sharp teeth can still hurt and draw blood pupils... Islands, the most well-known possums a concern, but scientists have found that opossums have fur-lined..., making them a target of the marsupial anywhere from a girl pounds. How much is an oil change for a gmc yukon denali example, brushtail possums ( vulpecula... The category `` other or brown, and are known carriers of diseases and parasites over on back... Species of Phalangeriformes or Australasian possums be effective opossum deterrents young opossum from... Severely under diagnosed in our opossums for obvious reasons male apart from a minutes! Over on its back and look at the genital area over cats and pet rats everyone! Pets can also pick up other diseases, like leptospirosis, from droppings there are the!