Virginia Opossum

• Isolated populations on predator-free islands have been found to age markedly more slowly than mainland ones.
• It eats fruit, insects, small vertebrates and carrion.
• It lives in woodland, farmland and towns across much of North America.
• fisiologíaIt is immune or highly resistant to the venom of many snakes, rattlesnakes included, thanks to a particular protein in its blood.
• defensaUnder extreme threat it can feign death involuntarily, entering a genuine catatonic state (thanatosis) that may last several hours.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (marsupial mammal)

Habitat & environment

Woodland, farmland and towns across much of North America, from Costa Rica to southern Canada

Birth weight

Born extremely undeveloped after only 12-13 days of gestation, the size of a bee

Size at birth

Born extremely undeveloped

Sexual maturity

Female: ~6 months | Male: ~8 months (though they usually breed for the first time at 10 months)

Gestation / incubation

12-13 days (one of the shortest gestations among mammals)

Litter / clutch size

5 to 21 young per litter, limited by the number of teats available (9-14 depending on the source), with 1-3 litters a year

Lifespan in captivity

Documented record of up to 6.6-10 years

Sources consulted: Animalia.bio; Dimensions.com; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Animal Diversity Web; NHPBS NatureWorks; Texas Tech NSRL Mammals of Texas; Virginia DWR; FaunaFocus; BioKIDS

Best time: All year round, at night; in North America it is common even in suburban areas, gardens and rubbish bins.