Opossum 



I found Mrs. Opossum in the apple tree com- 

 munity this morning. Fritz, my collie dog, saw her 

 first, and chased her up a redbud tree. It was then 

 that I noticed that the little gray-white animal was 

 carrying her family with her; several young opossums 

 were clinging snugly to her furry back and stomach. 



This droll creature with paper-thin ears, cone- 

 shaped nose and rat-like tail is one of our most un- 

 usual mammals the only warm-blooded animal in 

 North America that is pouched. Like the kangaroo, 

 she carries and nurses her tiny babies in this pouch. 



Opossums possess a strong digestive system, a 

 mouthful of fifty teeth, and a keen appetite for bugs 

 and berries, mice and moles, earthworms, snakes, and 

 fattening, tender young corn. They never encounter 

 difficulty in finding food, but they are slow-moving 

 animals, and, if pursued, cannot always reach a tree 

 in time to save themselves. When cornered on the 

 ground, the opossum usually relies on his famous 

 stunt of "playing dead." 



Some people believe that the opossum actually 

 blacks out with fear, and isn't even conscious while 

 "playing possum." Whether the opossum faints or is 

 feigning, I do not know; but for me a minor marvel 

 of creation is the fact that young opossums, as soon as 

 they are able to walk, know how to ''play dead." 



