That’s No Possum, Mate
Is that a possum outside the Catesby’s door? Well, the answer is complicated. In the United States, where Copper and the Catesby family live, many people use the name opossum and possum to refer to the same animal, the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana).
But there is another creature that lives in Australia and a few surrounding areas that is “officially” called a possum. So, that was not a true possum outside the Catesby’s door, but was it an opossum?
You might have to squint like an opossum to see one, but they are out there!
To see a true “possum”, you’ll have to be somewhere like Australia or New Guinea. In the United States, the opossum that we often just call “possum” lives in most states east of the Rocky Mountains and in some places along the west coast. Sadly, one of the common places people see opossums in those areas is along the highways after being hit by cars.
Opossums eat just about everything and live in lots of different habitats, including forests, farms, and even neighborhoods, so the chances of one being somewhere near you are pretty good! But opossums are mostly active at night, so you’ll have to keep an eye out after dark in your yard or maybe on a camping trip! Since opossums do get injured frequently, there are often opossum animal ambassadors you can visit at local wildlife rehabilitation facilities, zoos, and nature centers at parks. For example, the Animal Forest at Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site in Copper’s hometown of Charleston, South Carolina, has opossum friends that you can visit.
Oh Possum!
Here are some resources on opossums if you want to put some more knowledge in your pouch.
Kids, remember to ask a parent, teacher, or librarian for help whenever you are looking for books or using the Internet. I always try to make sure to share kid-friendly books and resources, but websites are changing all the time, so always check with an adult first.
- The Merriam-Webster online dictionary has an entire page dedicated to the possum versus opossum word usage. Check it out if you’d like to learn more about that! https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/possum-vs-opossum-difference-pronunciation
- Here is a great educational video on opossums that was put together for the Virtual Ranger Program at Shenandoah National Park that shares all things opossum: https://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm?id=10E037D6-357C-4674-BF77-7EF1B8C68F52
- Want to learn a little bit about that other “possum”? Here is a factsheet on one of the most common possums in Australia from the State Government of Victoria: https://www.wildlife.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0025/92437/Common-Brushtail-Possum.pdf