North America is home to a number of different species of opossum, the most notable being the Virginia or common opossum. It is a unique species in the United States and Canada, as it is the only pouched mammal, or marsupial, that exists in these countries. Other examples of marsupials around the world include kangaroos and koalas. Their name comes from the Algonquin word “apasum”, which translates to “white animal”. The Algonquin are indigenous inhabitants of North America, most of which live in Quebec.

Opossums are well known throughout North America as scavengers that forage for food throughout the evenings. Opossums are easy to identify – fully-grown adults can be as long as 36 inches from snout to tail and weigh upwards of 15 lbs. Their snouts are long and pointed, and they have grey fur covering their bodies and white fur on their faces. They also have a unique prehensile tail which makes them particularly adept at climbing trees as their tails can be used to grab objects, much like a hand or foot.

Whilst adult opossums can be roughly the size of a cat, their young, called joeys, are significantly smaller. At birth, a joey can be as small as a dime or a bee, making them completely helpless against any predators. Because of this, they will immediately crawl into the mother’s pouch once born, but this is a difficult journey that most opossums do not survive.