Possum Facts©

Written by American Author Sky Taylor

Possum Facts & Educational Stories

Possum Tails - Possums are wonderful little critters!  Did you know that they can be quite affectionate?  My husband Tom once had a possum that insisted that he was his mother.  He wanted to be with Tom every waking moment.

Blossum Possum contains information about possums - their habitat, the sounds they make, the foods they like and their cute mannerisms here at Blossum Possum Tales.  All the information within these pages stem from our personal interaction and experience with possums.

What Type of Sound Does a Possum Make? Dogs bark, cows moo, cats meow, elk bugle, lions roar, seals 'arph', birds chirp, hens cluck, roosters crow, geese honk, snakes hiss, bees buzz, but what type of noise does a possum make?

Possums can growl. To mimic the noise they make, open your mouth and blow from your throat. Keep your tongue elevated at the back of your mouth as your expel your lungs. You'll make a growling sound.

Sometimes a possum makes a very loud growl, which can be a bit scary if you aren't familiar with the possum. However, some will make the sound because they are protesting. A good example is a possum that is getting a bath and begins to growl because they are protesting about the bath. Once they are removed from the bath, the growling will instantly stop.

The sound will come out in spurts, sometimes over and over, and can be quite humorous as long as you know the possum is simply protesting rather than expressing anxiety or fear.

And now you know, that a possum can growl.  They also click!

Scent of a Possum - All animals have a unique smell - just as man does! Learn about the certain scents of possums, and why sometimes possums just really stink.

If you've ever encountered a wild city possum, your nostrils may be gripped with an intense foul odor. However, what you smell is not the identifiable scent of a possum. Possums must forage for food and explore every available means possible, including trashcans and garbage bags to secure 'nourishment' to carry on. This is where the foul scent originates.

Possums in the wild that live in the woods and forests have an entirely different scent about them. Here, animals feed on carrion and fermented fruit at times, and may smell a bit like a dead animal.

Two times a year, the female will come in season; it's breeding time. During this time, which can last for several weeks if she is not bred, she will emit a pungent, musky odor. Although it's not that unpleasant to the nose, unfortunately, it's not a scent that you would want to sit around and savor. Amid breeding time, the female will also secrete a clear fluid - which is actually where the scent originates.

Possums are like most other critters. They enjoy being clean and will take time out to perform thorough tongue-grooming sessions, sometimes on each other. However, they do exude a very unique scent - a possum scent.

Tom and I have raised and cared for several possums.  All took very kindly to our hair and loved to hold onto it with their paws as they licked our scalps.  It was hilarious UNTIL they got rather rough and those paws took on a death grip.  Lily Possum dearly loved licking our heads.

The true scent of a possum is virtually undetectable unless one is at close distance. Whether you like the scent or not is a totally personal preference. Many horse lovers enjoy the scent that their horse tosses off. And though puppy breath can be offensive to some, to others it's like a whiff of heaven! Therefore, beauty lies in the nose of the beholder.

How Did the Possum Cross the Road? With each passing day the possum kingdom dwindles due to man's hands on the helm of development. What were once nooks and safe havens for possums, as well as other wildlife, are slowly vanishing…

So how did the possum cross the road? This is no joke, because sadly the possum usually doesn't make it to the other side of the road. Developments that painfully carve through a possum's - as well as other wildlife's foraging areas, force millions of hungry critters to venture out of their vacant pantries to almost certain deaths.

Sadly, when developments are created the expensive offerings are generally grouped near a body of water. Water is an equally important survivor substance as food for all wildlife.

What can we do to save our vanishing wildlife and to curb the useless deaths of these defenseless wanderers of the night?

For one, we need to discourage urban sprawl and encourage our towns and cities to utilize property that has been previously developed. Make improvements, renovate existing structures, and building near the mainstream of the city would all work toward keeping our wildlife in safe hands, Mother Nature's hands.

How Possums are Like Cotton Gins - Possums are just like humans when it comes to favorite foods. While one may like peanut butter, another may favor milk. But what happens when they eat a food that contains both something they like, and something that they don't like?

Have you ever eaten a watermelon and spit out the seeds? (Hopefully, this was done outdoors!) Possums are fantastic seed spitters, and are much like a cotton gin because they can separate the good from the bad so efficiently.

Most possums love grapes - green grapes, purple grapes, Mustang grapes - all grapes! But although they love the grapes, they don't like the seeds at all, so as they eat, the seeds will fly out the sides of their mouth as they work to separate the 'good from the bad'.

They apply this same expertise to other types of foods, such as apples. While most love apples, they don't have a passion for the peel.

So the next time that you enjoy a backyard watermelon feast, consider leaving a bit behind for a wayward possum. Odds are, you'll find a pile of seeds in its place come morning.

Possum Rescue & Care

Some basic facts about possums:

Many people are frightened of catching rabies from possums, but they are one of nature's most resistant animals to the disease.

A possum in the wild - even a baby possum, might attempt to bite their rescuer.

Domesticated possums must have a special diet or they will suffer from malnutrition. Some symptoms include bug-eyes, brittle fur and blindness.  NEVER feed a possum a diet of cat food. Our choice is the MAZURI OMNIVORE ZOO FEED which can be ordered through your local feed store.

Possums like to lick and may go wild with your hair.

Some good treats to incorporate into their diet include peanut butter spread on apple wedges and COOKED poultry. 

Ginger Sees Winter

Ginger Possum studied the sky shrouded with puffy clouds silhouetted through the darkness. Winter would soon be arriving, she thought. There was a briskness to the air that she had not noticed on her prior evening visits through the wood.

She wiggled her wiry whiskers and took a long lick over her luxurious fur that had thickened over the past few weeks. How glad she was that she lived in the southern portion of the nation! It was much warmer here than in the North. She had learned this from a flock of Canadian geese drinking at the wood stream one evening, two winters ago.

Ginger paused to shake out the fullness of her coat, satisfied with her short grooming session. She would concentrate more on the grooming later; for now she had things to do before sunrise.

As she passed the stream in the wood she noticed that Lenny Frog had vanished. She assumed he had found safety from the brisk night by burrowing in his hole near the stream. He would stay there until the cold left the wood.

Last Friday she had stopped by Tinky Possum's burrow to ask if he was ready for winter. He assured Ginger that he was. He'd been busy scouting out the wood, remembering where the persimmon and nut trees were rooted.

So did Ginger, for that was her direction - the large hickory in the middle of the wood. The winds of autumn had dislodged the nuts from the branches of the tree. Ginger ate until her tummy bulged with satisfaction, then she cleaned her face with her tiny monkey-like paws before scurrying back to her burrow. Morning light was filtering through the wood.

As Ginger settled in for her all day nap, she thought of the signs of winter about her. As she closed her eyes, she thought happy thoughts. Yes, winter was on its way but she would be warm and safe in her underground burrow. She had nuts and persimmons but most of all, she could make fun footprints in the snow, and maybe, just maybe a possum snow angel.

Possum Has a Pocket - A short educational story for children featuring Lily Possum and your child.

Lily Possum has a special pocket in which she keeps special things inside. What does Lily have in her pocket? Is it money? Is it a toy? Is it secret treasure? Read on to solve the mystery…

The night is warm with a cool breeze gently blowing over the valley where Lily lives. It's time for a possum walkabout, so Lily scurries out of her den and follows the trail that leads to the stream that ribbons through the valley.

The stream is easy to find because it is shimmering under the full moon above. What a pretty night! Lily loves the night and she loves the secret that she is carrying in her pocket. What could it be? Only Lily knows. That is why it is a secret.

Would you like to know Lily's secret? You would? Then come closer to Lily and she will share her secret with you.

"Hi there," says Lily to you. "So you want to know my secret, do you? Well, this is my secret and I will share it with you. I am a special type of mammal, just as you are. You are called a human, and I am called a marsupial."

Lily is pausing to rest as she continues to tell her secret to you. This is because she feels a bit heavy. Why? Because she has a secret. Now, let her tell it to you.

"I have a special pocket - here, on my tummy. See? It is part of me. It is furry on the outside and warm on the inside."

Lily Possum smiles at you, then says, "When I had my babies they were not able to run about on their own. They needed to grow some more before they could scamper in the woods and play in the golden fields of wheat. And now, I will show you the secret that I keep in my pocket."

Lily slowly opens her pocket. Lean over a bit so you can see the secret that she keeps in her pocket.

"My secret is that I keep my babies in my pocket. See? They are getting stronger and stronger every day and soon, they will be able to forage and fend on their own. Now, I've things to do and places to go, but I enjoyed sharing my secret with you. Please come and visit me again soon!"

Lily scampers off into the woods searching for small insects, fruit and berries. Lily has a pocket. Lily has a secret in her pocket. Only you know what the secret is….

Curly Possum Has Landed - Curly was trapped in a steel cage out in the Texas wilds...

It was a cold January night for Curly possum who had innocently wandered into a steel trap in the Texas' backwoods. We received the call for assistance and met Curly as he was in the middle of his 'playing possum' act. One thing's for certain; this possum is definite Academy Award's material. His mouth was slightly agape, his tiny eyes fixed and staring into space. But dead he wasn't…

Two hours later he was situated in his new makeshift home, warm and snuggly for the first time in perhaps days. He was furnished with water and a bit of food for the night. Morning light would be a good indicator of his chances for survival.

Curly slept like a good possum, not creating a single disturbance during the night. The food and water had vanished - a very good sign. Perhaps little Curly would make it!

Bath time proved interesting. Tom had never bathed such a well-behaved possum. Curly was so good, and so stinky, that he was soaped and gently scrubbed three times over.

After a thorough exam, we determined the following:

~ one badly scraped nose, probably due to an attempted escape from the steel cage

~ 1 newly chipped tooth, again probably due to an attempted escape from the steel cage

~ approximately 6 months old

~ weight equaled 7 pounds - on the thin side

~ paws were EXTRA large

We are happy to report that at this time, Curly is doing extremely well and will soon be released into his natural habitat.

If you happen upon a wounded, injured, or orphaned possum please call your local animal shelter for assistance. They will put you in touch with a qualified animal rehabilitator. Some things to remember are:

~ Never attempt to pick up any wounded or injured animal.

~ Undomesticated animals require a specific diet to meet their nutritional needs. Poor nutrition can lead to many diseases including blindness, nerve disorders, and death.

~ An animal in the wild may hiss, slobber, lunge, run and attempt to bite. Keep your distance. Although the chances of becoming infected with a disease, including rabies, is minimal, don't take chances. You are more likely to get an infection from the bite.

~ Drooling in possums generally indicates fear.

~ If the wild animal is found in your yard, isolate your pets until a rescue can be made then sterilize the area with a mix of 1 part bleach and 9 parts water.

~ Try to remember that the animal is probably more afraid of you, than you are of it.

 

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