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Opossum
Didelphis virginiana
by Nargis
Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Pylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Didelphimorphia
Family: Didelphidee
Genus: Didelphidee, Marsupialia
Species: Caluromy lantus
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Physical Description
The opossum is the size of a cat.
It has grey to black fur, black eyes, pink nose, feet and tail, black ears
and pointed nose. It has a long, slender body with a pointed snout. Coarse
black, grayish, white , or reddish fur with white tipped guard hairs. Guard
hairs act as a rain and snow ptotection. The under hair is much softer. Sometimes
it has 3 dark streaks: 1 over each eye and 1 along midline of crown. Large,
leaf- like hairless ears. Long round tail. Base of tail has hair, remainder
of tail is hairless. Tail is prehensile, which means it can wrap around
objects. Each foot has 5 digits. Back foot has a large, opposable toe or
thumb with no claw, which is used for grasping and 50 sharp teeth.
Diet and Feeding Habits
Opossums are omnivores and
eat a variety of things such as corn, apples, berries, small mammals, insects
and fruit and snails and snakes.
Reproduction
The opossum carries it’s young
in a pouch for about 2-1/2 months after birth. After that they ride on
her back for another 10-15 days or so.
Habitat
Opossums are found in a variety of environments, ranging from relatively
arid to mesic environments. They prefer wet area, especially streams and
swamps. It is hard to determine the exact home range of an opossum because
of their unusual movement patterns.
Role in the Ecosystem
As scavengers, Virginia opossums
play an important role in the ecosystem by eating foods and garbage that
other animals may not. They are important prey items for predators in the
areas where they occur. They are beneficial to the environment because they
eat insect pests, snails and slugs.
Bibliography
1. Http://en.wikpedia.org/wiki/opossum
2. http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/classification/Didelphidae.html
3. http://www.opossum.org/facts.htm
4. http://biology.clc.uc.edu/students/114-Sum98-Opossums/char-beh-def-adpt.htm
5. http://biology.clc.uc.edu/students/114-Sum98-Opossums/misc.htm
6. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/food+web
7. http://www.everythingbio.com/glos/definition.php?word=food+chain
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