Opossum vs. Possum

Opossums and possums both are part of the marsupial family. They have similar eyes, feet, and snouts. This is where the similarities end.

There are many who often end up confusing the two different animals. Most think that they are the same creature with different names. A detailed study of the two animals will however help understand that each is a unique animal in its own right.

 Opossum  – Facts and  Characteristics

• The opossum is a marsupial found in North America. It first lived in South American and slowly migrated from that continent to North America.
• Its body is grayish-white, while the face is white in color. It has black feet and ears. It has coarse fur. The color of opossum may vary from blackish to pure white. Some may feature just one color, while others may have dark and light stripes. The animal is quite small and may measure anywhere between 4 and 23 inches. Its average weight is between 2 and 12 pounds. The biggest opossum species can be as big as a domestic cat.
• The scientific name of opossum, i.e., Didelphidae, was given by John Smith, an Englishman who colonized the Jamestown colony. The name ‘Apossouns’ was first reportedly used in the early 1600s. The animal is also known as the Virginia North American Opossum.
• Opossums are survivors and can colonize any new area. They have a flexible diet and other traits which allow them to survive in diverse environments.
• Most opossum species feature sagittal chest and elongated snouts. The jaw is home to several big canine teeth and small incisors. The main distinguishing feature of the animal however is the rat-like, bare tail. The pointed teeth make the opossum appear ugly and scary. Comparatively, the Australian possum is not scary and quite cute.
• Another distinctive feature of the opossum is its plantigrade posture. Also, they have prehensile tails, but cannot hold onto objects for long time periods as they are not that strong.

Possum  – Facts and  Characteristics

• The possum is a marsupial mammal found in Australia. It is also known as the common brushtail possum. Its body may be of 4 different colors, i.e., brown, silver-gray, gold, and black. The Australian possum appears more similar to a big Chinchilla as compared to the North American opossum.
• As opposed to the Virginia opossum, the Australian possum has bigger ears. Its fur is bushier and softer. However, the main difference between the two is that the opossum has a bald tail, while the possum has a bushy tail full of fur.
• The scientific name for Australian possums is Phalangeridae. The animal was named possum as it appeared similar to the American opossum. Captain James Cook, the renowned English explorer was accompanied by Sir Joseph Banks during the trip to Australia. It was Banks who compared the Australian possum to be part of the opossum family of animals.
• The animal is of different sizes and weights. It size may be anywhere between a finger’s length to around four feet. It may weight anywhere between 7 ounces to 33 pounds. The biggest ones may be as large as a house cat.
• The 2 major largest kinds of possums are the bushtail possums and the ringtail possums. Their tails are long and their bodies are gray or brown with wooly soft fur. They feature musk glands which are located at the back part of their ears. These glands generate the typical smell.
• The hind feet of the Australian possum are syndactylous, which means that the skin is separate next to the claws but is linked at the topmost joint.

Opossum vs Possum – Pictures

Other characteristics of possums and opossums

• Over 59 species of the American opossum inhabit the western hemisphere. It mainly lives in the US. It can also be found Chile, Argentina, northern Mexico, and south Canada.
• Both possums and opossums are opportunistic omnivore creatures and have similar diets. They are regarded to be quite intelligent. They tend to find different kinds of foods quicker than cats and rats. Each may eat meat, insects, eggs of birds and other creatures, small vertebrates, and other kinds of animal matter in varying amounts. They also eat grass, flowers, fruits, leaves, buds, shoots, fungi, seeds, and ferns.
• The Phalangeridae are native to Australia, Sulawesi, and New Guinea. They have also been introduced as a new species in New Zealand. All these areas are home to around 63 different species of the Australian possum.
• These animals are nocturnal creatures and are typically active during nighttime. They live in unused burrows.
• Both have low body temperatures and hence are immune to rabies. As compared to other animals, they carry less than 8 times.
• Both have short lives, ranging from just two to four years.
• They do not have good sense of hearing or vision. They however have a good sense of smell which helps them avoid varied dangers.
• Whenever they feel threatened or in harm, they elicit a typical behavior wherein they pretend to be ill and dead. Such a behavior is not conscious, but involuntary. When they are playing dead, their lips are curled back, their teeth become visible, and there is foam of saliva that drips from the side part of their mouth. Additionally, their anal glands produce a smelly liquid. It is easy to carry away the animal when in this stiff and curled state. Possums can remain in this state from 5 minutes to more than 5 hours. This behavior has been found to be quite effective against hunters and predators.