The seasonally cool weather has had a silencing effect on the nighttime chorus of insects, amphibians and most other animals. The frogs and cicadas have taken shelter in anticipation of the imminently arriving warmer months.
With the exception of the barred owls, even much of the avian population is silently waiting out the dark hours. The summer snacks of mosquitoes and moths retreated to protected locations, so there is little for the local nightbirds to hunt.
There are still the terrestrial residents of the forests and fields which remain active during the dim hours. These animals scurry about in near silence on even the coldest evenings north Florida can deliver.
Common among the native nocturnal animals is the opossum (Didelphis virginiana). This resourceful scavenger is found in forested areas, fields and pastures, and even places with a high density of humans.
With a mouth full of sharp teeth and an indiscriminate food preference, this young opossum will have little trouble surviving in the panhandle, if it stays out of traffic.
The possum, as it is usually known, has the distinction of being the only native marsupial north of Mexico. More commonly known, but distantly related, marsupials are the kangaroos, wallabies and koalas of Australia.
All female opossums have a pouch called a marsupium where the juveniles reside after birth. The tiny possums stay there for the next two months developing and growing.
Possums produce one to three litters annually from January to July. While 20 or more may be born, commonly only about seven survive to emerge from the pouch. Newborns are about 1/2-inch long and weigh less than 1/10th of an ounce.
After leaving the pouch they often ride on their mother’s back when she goes outside the den. The prolific possums have relatively short lives, commonly in the three to four year range.
Many have their brief existence cut short when crossing roadways at night. These animals are not fast enough to easily avoid vehicles which cause many possum fatalities in urban and suburban areas.
As the only native marsupial north of Mexico, the opossum stands out among the fauna of the region. The well-known tactic of “playing dead” originates with these resourceful mammals.
While not defenseless, the possum is also a common prey to larger predators such as bobcats, coyotes, and even domestic dogs.
Opossums also have 50 teeth, more than any other North American mammal. Armed with a prehensile tail and opposable thumbs, they are able to climb proficiently by grasping branches and other support structures.
Opossums are opportunistic feeders and are not finicky when making a menu selection. They seek out the many different choices readily available including, but not limited to, bird eggs, chickens, moles, earthworms, insects, snakes, grass, fruit, pet food, garbage and carrion (animals which are already dead).
The phrase “playing possum” is applied to anyone feigning unconsciousness or death for the purpose of deception. This tactic in fact originated with these crafty marsupials.
When threatened by a potentially dangerous animal, possums usually hiss and snarl at first. If these defense tactics do not scare off the intruder, they lay down and remain lifeless for several minutes.
Many predators do not eat animals which are not their fresh kills, so the prostrate possum with its mouth agape and appearing lifeless may escape, if its luck holds.
This cat-sized creature may not have nine lives, but at least it is resourceful.
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