THE VIRGINIA OPOSSUM. 



449 



posable first too of the hind foot, the scantily haired, scaly tail, the 

 long pointed snout and the large number of teeth. 



Description. — The color is extremely variable, some individuals 

 being nearly white and others almost black. Face white or pale 

 gray with a dark streak running forward from the occiput to the 

 eyes and a ring of black around them. The body fur is of two 

 kinds, a short, dens€ coat of wooly hairs, and a longer, thinner coat 

 of coarse hairs. The under fur is usually white or slightly yellow- 

 ish at the base and is tipped with black. The long hairs are usually 

 gray, giving to the entire coat a grizzled effect. IMelanistic individ- 

 uals, having the long hairs black are not rare. 



The ears are broad and naked except for a few minute hairs, and 

 are usually blackish in color but sometimes edged or tipped with 

 white. Palms, soles and toes flesh color ; upper surface of fore and 

 hind feet black. Base of tail densely furred for about two inches, 

 then naked and black for about two inches; tke remainder naked 

 and flesh color, or with a few spots of blackish. 



Measurements. — Six specimens taken by the writer at IVIitchell 

 averaged 600 mm. (24 inches) in total length; tail 235 mm. (91/2 

 in.); hind foot 55.5 mm. (2 3/16 in.). None of these specimens 

 were fully matured, however, and the adults reach a length of 28 

 inches with other measurements proportionally increased. 



Skull and teeth. — Skull elongated, with a well developed sagit- 

 tal crest, even in immature animals; braincase small and scarcely 

 elevated above the frontal region ; zygomatic arches strong and 

 divergent ; palate perforated in the posterior part. Incisors small 

 and weak ; canines strong, largest in old males ; premolars shaped 

 somewhat like the canines. Posterior molars not appearing till 

 late. The molars do not wear down rapidly but retain the promi- 

 nent cusps, even in old animals. 



Range. — The species is found from Connecticut and the Great 

 Lakes to the Gulf coast and west to the great plains. Slightly 

 different forms occur in Florida and the southwest. In Indiana it 

 occurs throughout the State with the possible exception of some 

 limited areas in the northern portion where it seems to have be- 

 come extinct, but it is most abundant in the southern part. 



Habits. — The opossum is one of the few animals capable of 

 adapting itself to almost any sort of condition. In the long run, 

 w^ith changing climate and fauna and flora, the animal with gen- 

 eralized habits and structure has a much better chance than the 

 one with habits and structure highly specialized for certain peculiar 

 conditions. To this fact is due the existence of the opossum at the 

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