Well today I was going to the pharmacy to pick up some of my medication and I almost hit something. (The car behind me almost hit me too.... but thankful that wasn't an event to blog about.) It was a Possum. Not just any possum..... it was perhaps the largest possum known to man. I kid you not, he was about a girthy as our dog Logan (who has quite the amount of girth). It reminded me of the huge rats from Princess Bride.
I came home and looked up possums to see what the average weight of a possum was and found some interesting information. Did you know:
1. The word Possum is the hick version of the proper name "Opposum". Does one pronounce the "O" with the "Oh" sound?
2. The mothers have pouches where they raise their newborns. I think I already knew this... but it was a cool reminder because I absolutely love the fact that kangaroo's have pouches. I totally want to give birth like a kanga' or opposum. Just reach into my pocket one day and "oh, my goodness!"
3. They have 50 teeth, the most of any mammal.
4. They play dead when in danger. Already knew this one.... even before watching Over the Hedge. (Very cute movie!)
5. They have prehensile tails from which they can, but rarely do, hang,and opposable thumbs. Their tails are not strong enough to support the weight of the average possum. You always see them hanging upside down in cartoons. What a crock!
6. Threatened opossums (especially males) will growl deeply, raising their pitch as the threat becomes more urgent. Males make a clicking "smack" noise out of the side of their mouths as they wander in search of a mate, and females will sometimes repeat the sound in return. When separated or distressed, baby opossums will make a sneezing noise to signal their mother. If threatened, the baby will open its mouth and quietly hiss until the threat is gone. One thing I love to do around children who are learning their sounds is to ask them what sound a cow makes, then a dog, then random things like, what sound does a bunny make?... or what sound does a giraffe make?..... I now have a new one on my list. What sound does a possum make? Our poor children will be so tormented. Send a little prayer up for them now.
6. They weigh on average 9-13 pounds. This one was FAR bigger than that! Seriously this thing was HUGE!
Just some good things to know. Hope you found it interesting too!
1 comment:
Have you guys heard about Nutria. Similar to an Opossum but bigger and a whole lot more nasty. They can usually be founr more around stream banks and wetlands than Opossums (forested areas)
Post a Comment