FIELD BOOK OF MAMMALS 



black phase in which the long outer hairs are black instead of 

 white. Top of head to nose dusky ; dusky stripe from ear 

 through eye to nose; tail black for basal half, rest flesh color. 

 Total length, 31 inches; tail vertebrae, 15 inches; hind foot, 

 2.7 inches. Ranges from coast region of Texas southward, 

 from Nueces Bay and the Lower Rio Grande Valley. 

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 The Virginia Opossum and its relatives, the Texas Opossum 

 and the Florida Opossum, are the only North American repre- 

 sentatives of a very ancient order, the Marsupialia, most 

 widely represented today in Australia. The Opossums are a 

 large family — the Didelphiidas — and range from eastern North 

 America south throughout Central and South America, where 

 the group has become highly differentiated into many genera 

 and a host of species. The species of the genus Didelphis are 

 the largest mammals of the family, and the Virginia Opossum 

 is about as large as any species of the genus. Didelphis is the 

 only genus of North American mammals the members of which 

 have abdominal pouches in which the young are carried. 



The Opossum is extremely adaptable to the conditions of its 

 environment. Although the hind feet, with grasping great 

 toes, and the prehensile tail are arboreal specializations, the 

 Opossum is perfectly at home on the ground and may wander 

 considerable distance in search of food without taking to the 

 trees. 



When cornered by an enemy, this mammal appears to die 

 or to feign death, whence the expression "playing 'possum." 

 On the basis of careful observation, it would seem that this 

 apparently lifeless condition is brought about by a nervous 

 shock beyond the control of the animal, and observers have 

 noted such a loweringof thevital forces, pulse, heart-beat, etc., 

 that they believe the Opossum has "fainted" and is not sham- 

 ming. On the other hand, the recovery from the lifeless state 

 is rapid enough to hint that the Opossum knows what is going 

 on and is ready to take advantage of any opening for escape. 

 The Opossum does a little damage when it can get to eggs 

 or poultry, but of recent years has attained a value as a fur- 

 bearer that much more than offsets this. It is also a game 

 mammal of prominence in certain sections of the country and 

 is eagerly hunted for the table. 



The young Opossums are very tiny when born and are con- 

 siderably less developed than the young of other mammals, 



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