Virginia Opossum - Black And White Marsupial - Looking Directly At The Camera Stock Photography

The Opossum is native to North and South America. It is a black and white Marsupial - Didelphimorphia. They are not rodents. Opossums have an elongated snout, and a large sagittal crest, which is a bone making their forehead look larger. They have scaly feet, and a scaly hairless prehensile tail. A prehensile tail can be wrapped around branches to stabilize the animal while climbing. An Opossum should never be held by the tail, however, since it's not used for that purpose, only as a stabilizer. Opossums eat ticks and have an amazing immune system. It's very rare for an Opossum to contract rabies and they cannot get Lyme Disease. They are also immune to venomous snake bites. They play possum by pretending to be dead, reacting to a predator or threat only when absolutely necessary. They carry their young in their pouch. They have 50 teeth, more than any other mammal.