Stephanie Hanna | Community Programs Manager
Recently, I came across a very cute graphic of an opossum saying, “I don’t get rabies and I have nice little hands! I am the perfect mammal!” I chuckled to myself and was reminded how fond I am of this particular critter. It reminded me of a time a few years ago, when my dog suddenly let out the “alarm bark” towards our grill. Finally stooping down to pick her up, I glanced under the grill myself to see a very cute, young opossum hissing furiously at me. Wow, did she show me all of her very pointy teeth!
Opossums have a different set of teeth in comparison to other Northern American mammals. In total, they have 50 teeth, which include incisors, canines, and molars. The ten incisors, AKA the pointy teeth, are at the front of the mouth and behind those are canines, which are used to tear flesh. The remaining 36 molars located in the back of the mouth used to grind and crush food. According to a CritterStop article, the molars have a complex surface that allows opossums to efficiently break down plant material and small bones. Surprisingly, opossums can also replace their teeth. When a tooth falls out, a new one grows in its place! They are omnivorous and their teeth are adapted to the various items they eat. When threatened, they will hiss and bare their teeth as a warning.
Their teeth are not the only unique feature; they are the only marsupial on our continent, meaning their babies are born underdeveloped and carried in a pouch. They can carry up to 13 babies in their pouch, and when the joeys are too big to fit they cling to their mom’s back. Opossums also have an opposable thumb on their hind feet that helps them with climbing. The Nature of Things, Canada’s long-term nature show, says that “these misunderstood marsupials clean up our yards and even help fight Lyme disease.” This is due to their rapid consumption of the common carrier – deer ticks. One of these critters can eat 4,000 ticks a week!“
An opossum’s superpower is that they digest just about anything including a dead animal’s bones and carcass. They are very helpful at decomposing dead organisms. Their other superpower is immunity to snake venom. The Nature of Things says that “they might hold the key to fighting snake bites around the world!” because of that.
The online article 12 Facts About Opossums: Truly Misunderstood Wild Animals by World Animal Protection says that the name “opossum” is derived from the Algonquin language. The Algonquin are First Nations people who now live in Eastern Canada, originally residing in Quebec, Ontario, Upper Michigan and Wisconsin. The word is derived from the Algonquin word “apasum” which means white animal.
In Wisconsin Winters, opossums will spend most of the time in a den but often come out to look for food such as mice, rabbits, birds, and garbage. They are native to South America and have made their way into North America, so because they are not really adapted for Winter their tails and ear tips sometimes freeze. The species found in the USA and Canada is the Virginia Opossum. Next time you see an opossum in the wild or your backyard, remember what amazing little creatures they – even if they have a face that some say only a parent could love!