The opossum, with its prehensile tail, marsupial pouch, and cunning
ways, stands alone for its singularity among all the animals of the
American continent. Many of the tribe are found in South America; but
the Virginian opossum, the size of a full-grown cat, is larger than all
its relatives. The head and body measure about twenty-two inches; and
the tail, fifteen. It is covered with a light grey hair of wool-like
softness, short on the face and body, but long on the legs. The base
end of the tail is thick and black, and is covered with small scales.
So powerful is this member that the opossum can hold on with it to the
bough of a tree, and even when desperately wounded it does not let go.
Its face is long and sharpened, the mouth very determined, and armed
with numerous sharp teeth. It has thin, naked, round, and blackish
ears, edged with a border of white. It has short legs, the feet being
armed with claws, and the interior toes of the hind-feet are flat and
rounded.
It has the power of emitting a disagreeable odour when chased or
alarmed. When pursued, it makes for the nearest tree; and should it
discover the approach of a hunter and his dogs when already up a tree,
instead of taking to flight, it lies close along the branch,
endeavouring to hide itself. When moving amidst the boughs, it swings
itself from branch to branch by means of its tail; and it may be
observed at times hanging down, with its eyes wide open, on the look-out
for any birds which may incautiously alight on the bough above, or pass
within its grasp.
It is very voracious, feeding on small quadrupeds and birds of all
sorts; while it does not disdain to prey off a brood of young cotton
rats and mice, and devours insects and a variety of reptiles. When
unable to find sufficient food in the forest, or too lazy to look for
it, it will, without hesitation, make a raid into the farmer's
poultry-yard, and carry off or kill his fowls, and eat up any eggs it
may find. The opossum does not always indulge in animal diet,--for he
climbs fruit-trees to carry off their luscious productions; and for the
sake of obtaining maize, of which he is especially fond, he will climb
the tallest stems, and bite them across, so as to bring the heavy ear to
the ground. He will also clamber to some higher branch, and hang down,
in search of the fruit growing on the boughs incapable of bearing his
weight.
The quality for which he is chiefly noted is his habit of feigning
death. Frequently he is brought to the ground, when there he lies,
every limb relaxed, evidently as dead as can be. The knowing hunter
will, however, keep his glance on the creature. If he withdraws it for
a moment, its eyelids will be seen slowly opening; and should he turn
his head for even the shortest space, the creature will be on its feet,
stealing away through the underwood. Though so perfectly an adept at
"'possuming," before attempting to practise its usual ruse it will make
every effort to escape from its pursuers. When chased alone by a dog,
it will content itself by scrambling up a tree, and sitting quietly on a
branch, out of reach, looking down on its canine assailant with contempt
as it runs barking furiously below it. The opossum is thus said to be
"treed;" and before long, the barking of the dog brings his master to
the spot, when the opossum has to fly for its life to the highest branch
it can reach. It is easily captured by the rudest style of trap, into
which it will walk without hesitation. When "feigning 'possum," it will
submit to be knocked about, and kicked and cuffed, without giving the
slightest sign of life. The flesh of the opossum is white, and
considered excellent--especially in the autumn, when, after feeding
amply on the fruits, beech-nuts, and wild berries, of which it is
especially fond, it is very fat.
The female opossum builds a warm nest of dry leaves and moss, sometimes
in the hollow of a rotten tree, or beneath its wide-spreading roots.
She has been known occasionally to take possession of a squirrel's nest;
and at other times, that of the Florida rat. When her young--generally
thirteen to fifteen appearing at a time--are born, they are extremely
small--not an inch in length, including the tail--and weighing only four
grains. After a couple of weeks or so, she places them in her pouch,
when they grow in size and strength, and in about four weeks may be seen
with their heads poked out surveying the world, into which they begin to
wander at the end of five or six weeks. When first-born, they are the
most helpless of little creatures, being both deaf and blind.
The larger number of opossums, however, are to be found in South
America, where we shall have an opportunity of further examining them.