13 Intriguing Facts About Opossums

Opossums, part of the approximately 100 species in the order Didelphimorphia, are often among the most misunderstood animals in the Americas. They're frequently labeled as foolish and filthy creatures, with their most notorious skill being playing dead.

However, the reality is quite the opposite: Opossums are more intelligent, cleaner, and actually more advantageous to humans than many other creatures of the woodland community. Keep reading for more fascinating facts about opossums.

1. Opossums and possums are not the same species.

In North America, opossum and possum refer to the same animal, but in Australia, the term possum designates a completely different group of organisms. Notable examples include the Virginia opossum and the brushtail possum. Both are small to medium-sized, omnivorous marsupials, but their similarities stop there. The possum resembles a charming mix of a squirrel and a chinchilla, and it belongs to a different taxonomic order from the North American mammal with a similar name.

Although this may cause some confusion, possum is widely accepted as a shorthand for opossum in this region (and if you come across the term possum in this article, it will be referring to the animal from the Americas).

2. They are the only marsupials found north of Mexico.

Marsupials—mammals that carry and nurse their young in pouches—are scarce in many parts of the world, and in both Canada and the United States, the Virginia opossum (Didelphia virginiana) is the only representative of this group.

Like other marsupials, mother opossums give birth to tiny, undeveloped babies (known as joeys) that immediately crawl into a pouch, where they live and nurse for the first few months of life. Once they’ve grown strong enough, they begin venturing outside, alternating between their mother’s back and the comfort of the pouch until they reach adulthood.

3. They can’t control when they “play dead.”

One of the opossum’s most iconic traits is its ability to play dead in front of predators. When faced with overwhelming fear, the animal stiffens up and collapses to the ground, where it can remain motionless for hours, staring vacantly ahead with its tongue sticking out.

It’s a remarkable defense tactic, but the opossum’s ability to play dead isn’t a product of its acting talent. These creatures have no control over when they go into this state or how long it lasts: The catatonic-like response is an involuntary reaction triggered by stress.

4. An unpleasant smell enhances the performance.

A photo of an opossum playing dead doesn’t quite capture the full experience. To truly understand it, you’d need to stand over the creature and inhale the foul odor it emits while pretending to be a corpse. In addition to its limp body, it will seem to stop breathing, release its bowels, and release a rancid smell into the air.

The noxious substance it secretes from its anus is just another reason for predators like foxes and bobcats to seek their meal elsewhere.

5. They help reduce the spread of Lyme disease.

While possums might not be the most adorable animals in the forest, they’re actually a great addition to your backyard. Unlike other mammals that host ticks, which can transmit Lyme disease, possums devour roughly 90 percent of the ticks that latch onto them.

The National Wildlife Federation reports that a single possum consumes about 5000 ticks per season. This means that the more possums around, the fewer ticks you’ll likely encounter.

6. Their memory is surprisingly sharp.

Opossums have remarkable memories, especially when it comes to food. Studies show that they are better at remembering which path led to a tasty snack than cats, dogs, and even rats. They can also recall the scent of toxic substances for up to a year after first encountering them.

7. They’re immune to most types of snake venom.

While many animals see a snake as a threat, an opossum sees a potential meal. These creatures are immune to the venom of almost every snake species in their range (including rattlesnakes), with the exception of the coral snake. Opossums regularly capitalize on this immunity by feeding on snakes.

For years, scientists have been working to harness the opossum's anti-venom abilities. In 2015, a research team made significant strides by recreating a peptide found in possums. They discovered that mice injected with the peptide and rattlesnake venom were protected from the venom’s harmful effects.

8. They almost never contract rabies.

Although possums aren’t entirely immune to rabies (a few cases have been recorded), the likelihood of finding one with the disease is extremely low. Marsupials, such as possums, have a lower body temperature than the placental mammals that dominate North America—meaning their bodies aren’t conducive to the rabies virus.

9. Their tails function like an extra limb.

Opossums have prehensile tails. These tails often act as an additional limb: They help the animals carry leaves and grass to build nests or grip tree branches to maintain balance while climbing.

Baby possums can even use their tails to hang upside down from branches, just like in cartoons. However, it’s a myth that possums sleep this way: Their tails are only strong enough to support them for brief periods.

10. They’re always grooming themselves.

Despite their dramatic 'play dead' performance and unpleasant odor, opossums are actually quite tidy. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife reports that possums, much like house cats, use their tongues and paws to groom themselves frequently and thoroughly.

Lacking sweat glands, possums rely on grooming to help regulate their body temperature. Additionally, this habit makes them odorless—except when they’re releasing their infamous predator-deterring scent, of course.

11. Their eyes aren’t entirely black.

One of the opossum’s most distinctive traits is its seemingly all-black eyes. While opossum eyes do have whites and irises, their oversized pupils create the illusion of solid black eyes from a distance. This large pupil size is believed to help these nocturnal creatures see more clearly in low light.

12. They’re sociable animals.

For a long time, it was thought that opossums preferred solitude, but a 2015 study published in the journal Biology Letters revealed that they actually have a more social nature than previously assumed.

At the Federal University of Pernambuco in Recife, Brazil, researchers observed possums in captivity sharing dens even when they weren’t mates. In one instance, 13 white-eared opossums of different ages were cohabiting the same space. The scientists believe that male and female possums in the wild may also build nests together to stimulate the female’s reproductive hormones.

13. Their reproductive systems are complex.

The opossum’s reproductive habits are as fascinating as its other traits. Female possums have two vaginal tracts and two uteri, while males possess a bifurcated or forked penis.

This reproductive anatomy is common among marsupials, but when European colonizers first arrived in North America, they were baffled by the unusual genital structure. One theory they came up with was that male opossums impregnated females through the nose.

A version of this article was originally published in 2018 and has been updated for 2023.