At the Northern edge of their range, in Canada, they often have short tails from damage due to frostbite. In short, their little toesies can get cold! Frostbite is a major limiting factor in the species’ distribution, the geographical range over which they are found. Their naked toes, tail, and ears can become a liability in cold weather. Unlike many other mammals, their extremities have no fur. That is, they don’t hibernate like many other mammals, and are very active looking for food on winter nights. In urban and suburban environments, they also eat trash and extra animal food if it’s left outside. I’ve heard plenty of stories about opossums coming into people’s houses through cat-doors and moving right in. Around human habitations, they can take shelter under sheds and porches, or even indoors if they get the chance. These adaptable qualities make opossums excellent living around people. Not being very talented diggers, opossums tend to use the abandoned homes of other animals. Typically, they will find tree hollows or abandoned burrows to shelter during daylight hours. Opossums are great at hiding during the day. This includes things like insects, fruits, small mammals, and scavenged carrion (dead stuff). They are also omnivorous: they can eat a wide variety of foods. Opossums are nocturnal, meaning that they are most active at night. But are any of those things true? Let’s find out, and get to know this North American neighborhood critter. They have a reputation for being dim-witted, slow, and dirty. Everyone seems to think they’re either hideous or adorable. These cat-sized, fuzzy, long-whiskered beasts tend to have a polarizing effect on people. In this Wildlife Spotlight post, I’d like to put in a good word for an animal that people see all the time but tend to misjudge: the Virginia opossum ( Didelphis virginiana).
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