Further, they have musk gland located behind the ears that are responsible for producing a rank scent. The most wonderful thing is that they do not have rabies. These critters are pesky, disrupting homes, gardens, chicken coops and areas meant for pets while looking for food. However, possums are more often used these days. Some of these animals were also taken to New Zealand. We'd love you to read The Discontented Little Baby Book before you have your baby.Or pick it up now. However, they have a virus that can be lethal to horses and chickens. They are omnivores and eat a variety of plant matter, fruits, seeds, grains, insects, earthworms, birds, and frogs. But they are scientifically and technically different animals. Possum Vs. Opossum They have sharp teeth, but the main distinguishing feature of an opossum is its bare, rat-like tail. Opossums don’t actually play dead when they’re threatened. Possum Vs Opossum: Comparison Video. Instead, they involuntarily enter a catatonic state. Fright makes them faint until the threat passes. Hi There! Possums, as they are commonly called, are more likely to run the other way, bare their teeth and growl in dangerous situations. Opossum vs Possum – Pictures. What is the difference between opossum and possum? The confusion between the two arose after Sir Joseph Banks decided to name the Australian creature as a possum. You can consult experts on how to pet opossum and still keep horses and chicken on the same farm. In North America, the animal officially called an opossum is a white and gray marsupial of the order Didelphimorphia. Read More: Difference between Cobwebs and Spider Webs. Is it Possum or Opossum? I have a BSc (Hons) in Animal Biology from the University of Stirling. Plan B: Sharp Teeth. A spring-cleaning North Carolina couple was shocked to find an opossum hiding in their couch. A true possum is actually a tree-climbing marsupial that lives in Australia, and is a distant cousin to the North American opossum. Possums are native to Australia. Opossum have a unique characteristic of having a prehensile tail, which means they can pick up objects with their tails, but they are not strong enough to carry items for long periods of time. and the winner is… Kind of a toss-up this time. i wasn't going fast and neither was he. When people picture a “possum,” most are actually thinking of an “opossum.” Possums are native to Australia, while opossums are native to North and South America. They have larger ears and smooth fur all over their body. Watch the hair-raising video © 2020 Animal Differences. It mainly lives in the US. The possums were given that name because of the close semblance to the opossums of North America. BuzzFeed Goodful Self care and ideas to help you live a healthier, happier life. The color of opossums is generally between pure white and black. They all say that a possum is a cute fuzzy marsupial in Australia (they’re referring to the Common Brushtail Possum, Trichosurus vulpecula) and that an opossum … Just to cement things further, possums and opossums belong to different taxonomic families. The marsupial mammals belong to the family of Phalangeridae and they have a close similarity to American opossums. What is the Difference Between Republicans and Democrats? Both opossum and possum are marsupial mammals. The opossum is marsupials that inhabit North America while possum is marsupials that inhabit Native Australia. he wasn't coming after me to kill me or anything just following me. The Australian marsupials are found in Australia and New Guinea. Possum belong to the family of Phalangeridae while opossum belong to the family of Didelphidae, The diet of the opossum is eating dead things and plants while possum is eating fruits, leaves, and plants, Opossum are smaller in size while possum are large, Possum tend to be longer while opossum are shorter in terms of length, Opossum have longer snout while possum has a shorter snout, Opossum have bare rat-like tail while possum has a bushy tail, Opossum have elongated face while possum have long and round face, Opossum prefer colder condition marked with ice and snow while possum prefer subtropical condition, Opossum have scary looking while possum is less scary, The opossum has a white face with the greyish-white body while possum has a variation of colors such as black, chinchilla grey, silver-grey and gold, Possum has high intelligence while opossum are less smarter, Opossum play dead when threatening while possum does not play dead. Opossums vs. Possums? This blog aims to help you have a clear understanding of animals. What is the Difference Between a City and a Town? They normally occur in different colors such as black, silver-grey, brown, and gold. If you are looking for something that can get rid of the pest in your yard then consider petting opossum. Most people use possum vs opossum when referring to the animal best known for its ugly, scary looking appearance. Possums have the scientific name of Phalangeriformes. Conclusion . Though possums … The marsupials have sharp teeth like those of the cats and they have a bare rat-like tail. Other characteristics of possums and opossums. Opossums are scavengers and clean up dead animal carcasses. The examples of the Australian marsupials are kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, quolls, wombats, numbats, possums, marsupial moles, and bandicoots. The possum-vs.-opossum quandary recently came up while I was editing a Beacon story about a children's book. They do screeches, chatters, grunts, zook-zook, squeaks, hisses, and clicks, etc. Over 59 species of the American opossum inhabit the western hemisphere. But they are scientifically and technically different animals. The core difference between possum and opossum is that possum is found in Native Australia and New Guinea while opossums are inhabitants of North America. Plays Possum. On the other hand, possums are native to Australia, Sulawesi (Indonesia), and New Guinea. A lot of people tend to use opossum and possum interchangeably but this tends to be quite wrong. They can’t help it. Opossums are also located in parts of Southern Canada, Chile, and Argentina. If you are looking for something that can get rid of the pest in your yard then consider petting opossum. They have scary looking but they do an amazing task of eating ticks and many other vermin. On the other hand, possums are native to Australia, Sulawesi (Indonesia), and New Guinea. In most casual writing this won’t make a difference, as it’s commonly understood that most writers mean opossum when they write possum. The opossum is a marsupial mammal that inhabits North, South and Central America. Their colors are more diverse including black, chinchilla gray, and fox silver-gray and gold than those of opossums. Opossums are relatively smaller than possums with their lengths averaging between 3 and 22 inches while their weight ranges between 1 and 10 pounds. Quick refresher – it’s a system for cataloging and classifying plants and animals. It is a marsupial mammal that inhabits North America, It is a marsupial mammal that inhabits Native Australia, Tend to be longer since the measure 3 to 22 inches in length, Tend to be shorter since they measure 3 inches to 4 feet in length, Have several colors such as black, chinchilla, gray, silver-gray and gold. The opossum is a marsupial that is found in North and South America.It has a grayish-white body, a white face, coarse fur, and black ears and feet. See more ideas about opossum, awesome possum, possum. The female opossum is a spontaneous ovulator with an estrous cycle of about 28 days. The core difference between opossum and possum is that opossum is a marsupial mammal with a white face and mostly found in North America while opossum is a marsupial mammal with a round face and mainly found in Native Australia. While Possum is a marsupial animal, native to Australasia. Jun 14, 2020 - Explore Cheryl lewis's board "Opossums", followed by 1168 people on Pinterest. The Virginia opossum is the most commonly known opossum. opossums are fuckin scary! While possum is sometimes a synonym of opossum, it can also refer to a completely different species that lives in New Guinea, Australia, Indonesia, and elsewhere in the Pacific. What To Do If You Find An Opossum (Possum) On Your Property Or Backyard? Both possum and opossum correctly refer to the Virginia opossum frequently seen in North America. By comparison, possums are considered less threatening looking. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. While both possums and opossums are marsupials, they are, technically and scientifically, two very different animals. There is another difference between the two regarding geographical location. If the coyote still threatens when the opossum wakes up, the possum won’t hesitate to hiss, lunge, and show its teeth. The American marsupials are found in North, South, and Central America. If you are a horse owner and chicken farmer then stay away from petting opossums. Wh ile it’s common for people to use these two spellings interchangeably, opossum and possum actually refer to different animal groups.. The opossum is a mammal belonging to the family of marsupials located in North America. The reason for the naming was because he thought that the two looked similar. Am I right? I think that opossums are found in North America and possums are only found in Australia. Opossum vs. Possum: Difference. All rights reserved. Possums feed on birds’ eggs, insects, leaves, flowers, shoots, fruits, and seeds among many others. Playing Possum. Opossums have a natural resistance to rabies and botulism, so … These subdivisions have distinctive features. They tend to be quite intelligent when compared to American marsupials. Both opossum and possum are marsupial mammals. Possums are also much bigger animals than opossums, as they can weigh up to 32 pounds, while opossums are lighter, and typically top out at about 11 pounds. The number of species of the possums is 64 while there are more than 60 opossum species. Sperm, which has become paired in the male opossum’s reproductive tract, will move through the lateral vaginal canals and become separate again in the female’s tract. Opossums are opportunistic feeders whose diets change depending on the season. Besides the stretched snouts, they have a plantigrade posture, meaning they can walk as humans do with their heels touching the ground. The word opossum comes from a similar-sounding Algonquian term that translates as “the white animal.”It’s easy to leave off that initial, unstressed O in opossum, which often happened quite early in the word’s borrowing into English. Additionally, opossums forage for carrion, garbage, and pet food left outdoors when … The following question was sent to the P&PDL diagnosticians here at Purdue University: Question: Is there was a difference between an opossum and a possum? Opossum can be pronounced with its first syllable either voiced or silent. An opossum is a type of marsupial but a native animal of America from Didelphimorphia. They are divided into the American marsupials and the Australian marsupials. Although "possum" was in the title, I kept wanting to change the word to "opossum." ; What most in North America call a possum is actually called an Opossum.People in this region do not usually pronounce the “O”. ; Opossums are native to the Americas. Opossum Facts. Possums are a suborder of 70 tree-living marsupial species native to Australia and the Indonesian islands of New Guinea and Sulawesi. Literally, the word means “white dog or beast” in Powhatan. The largest of opossums are about the size of an average domestic cat. Possums and opossums are types of animals, specifically marsupials. Possum is a marsupial mammal that inhabits Native Australia and New Guinea. Their bodies are covered in white or grayish hair. Opossums belong to the didelphidae family, while possums fall under phalangeridae. While possums are rarely dangerous, the opossum is a predator when it comes to cats.When possums become problematic, they forage near commercial and residential areas after nesting. English colonists living in Jamestown derived the word from its equivalent in Powhatan, a language spoken by the Virginia Algonquian tribe. Marsupials belong to a mammal group. The physical appearance of possum makes them ideal for being kept as exotic pets. John Smith spelled it “opassum,” but William Strachey spelled it “aposoum.” Possums, on the other hand, live in Australia, Ne… An interesting behavior by the American opossum led to the birth of the phrase “playing possum.” This phrase arose because of the common defensive mechanism to pretend to be dead or asleep if under attack or threat from predators. The most notable is the Virginia opossum or common opossum—the only marsupial (pouched mammal) found in the United States and Canada. Opossums have large canines and small incisors. Danielle from Wells, Vermont, wonders if there’s a difference between a possum and an opossum.Scientifically speaking, they’re two different animals. Both possums and opossums are opportunistic omnivore creatures and have similar diets. Possums can make more than 20 different vocal sounds. Consider these additional possum benefits: Opossums hunt, kill, and eat mice, rats, and snakes (including poisonous ones). Some of these animals were also taken to New Zealand. This is the time mating can occur. I’ve read a lot of articles addressing the possum vs opossum question and it seems that very few have managed to come up with the right answer.At least, not the complete answer. Examples of the American marsupials are the opossums and shrew opossums. Main Possum vs. Opossum Takeaways: Possums and Opossums are different animals, even though many people use these words interchangeably. In common use, possum is the usual term; in technical or scientific contexts opossum is preferred. Their bodies are generally grayish-white while both feet and ears are black. The common brushtail possum is far darker in color. They belong to the family of Didelphidae. Opossums have a long, pointed face with round, hairless ears and a rat-like tail. It can also be found Chile, Argentina, northern Mexico, and south Canada. The length of possums ranges from the length of a human finger to four feet, while their weight ranges from six ounces to 32 pounds. By Ferdinand Bada on July 16 2019 in Environment. They carry the virus which can be lethal to horses and even kill small chickens. The number of species of the possums is 64 while there are more than 60 opossum species. People interchangeably use these words just like bison and buffalo. Information Disclaimer: The information contained on Animaldifference.com is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Read on to learn about the opossum. She is in estrus a short period, about 36 hours. It's written to help make life with your baby just as enjoyable as possible (and to offer strategies for living by your values when the going's tough). The possums are sometimes called common brushtail possums. Their tails, which are bare like those of rats, are capable of grabbing small objects for short periods. An interesting behavior by the American opossum led to the birth of the phrase “playing possum.” Why do opossums play dead? What is the Difference Between Grasshoppers and Locusts? I am Scot an animal enthusiast. If you are a student pursuing animal biology then you are in the right place. Additionally, females have a pouch on their stomach for holding newborns. Opossums grow up to 40 inches in length, about the size of a house cat. They are widely kept as pets in Australia and some parts of the world. Possum vs Opossum. Possums tend to play dead when threaten. The mammals have a bush tail which looks like that of a large chinchilla. However, they have a virus that can be lethal to horses and chickens. The correct name is opossum but most folks call them possum. Their tails are bushy unlike those of the opossum. I love blogging about animals. While they are both members of the marsupial family, their orders are the Didelphimorphia and Diprotodontia for the opossum and possum respectively. Search, watch, and cook every single Tasty recipe and video ever - all in one place! ; When English explorers first met the Australian … While in this involuntary defensive state, their mouths will be open, lips turn black, teeth show, secrete a foul liquid, and foam appears from the mouth. While most ‘possums play dead, this one just wants to play hide-and-seek. Possums, on the other hand, are marsupials of Australian origin. The biggest possums rarely grow beyond the size of a house cat. The first and the most obvious difference between the two marsupials is that they belong to different orders. Although they inhabit North America, opossums originated from South America then moved north. i was riding my bike at night in college-town lexington, ky and i saw the most albino looking huge opossum ever in my life following me. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions © 2020 worldatlas.com.