what/who is a opossum ?

Question

what does Opossum means , i live in lebanon so i don't really know weird english words !

Answer 1

1. Any of various nocturnal, usually arboreal marsupials of the family Didelphidae, especially Didelphis marsupialis of the Western Hemisphere, having a thick coat of hair, a long snout, and a long prehensile tail. See Regional Note at possum.
2. Any of several similar marsupials of Australia belonging to the family Phalangeridae.

(Didelphidae)

Class: Mammalia

Order: Didelphimorphia

Family: Didelphidae

Number of families: 1

Thumbnail description
Small- to medium-sized terrestrial mammal with long, naked tail, opposable thumbs both in the hands and feet, long, pointed snout, naked ears that range from small to large, and medium to large eyes; color varies from nearly pure white to blackish; some species are unicolored, whereas others have distinct light and dark blotches and bands

Size
3–22 in (8–55 cm); 0.9 oz–11 lb (25–5,000 g)

Number of genera, species
15 genera; 61 species

Habitat
Dry and moist tropical forests, temperate forest, woodland, grasslands, scrub, and mangroves

Conservation status
Critically Endangered: 3 species; Endangered: 3 species; Vulnerable: 15 species; Near Threatened: 18 species; Data Deficient: 2 species

Distribution
North America from southern Canada and New England to southern Mexico, Central America, and South America to southern Argentina and Chile

P.S.it likes to play dead to aviod being eaten

Answer 2

It is an animal that looks a bit like a rat. It has a prehensile tail that it uses as a 3rd hand. It also uses it's tail to hang from trees and usually sleeps hanging from a tree branch by it's tail which keeps it save from most predators. It also has a pouch were it carries it's young. Their hands look very similar to human hands. (Oh great, now some idiot going to think we evolved from the opossum!)

Answer 3

An is any of various nocturnal, usually arboreal marsupials of the family Didelphidae, especially Didelphis marsupialis of the Western Hemisphere, having a thick coat of hair, a long snout, and a long prehensile tail. See Regional Note at possum.

Answer 4

I however the be conscious exchange into Possum... yet Wikipedia says Opossum North usa Possum Australia and Asia there an unusual animal... i do no longer say the two... we've none =/ yet i assumed it exchange into Possum... i did no longer know what an Opossum exchange into...

Answer 5

Opossum, or just "possum" is a marsupial, very common in the United States. Even though they are rather primitive animals, they can thrive fairy well in the current conditions

Answer 6

its a nocturnal marsupial common to the US. its a scavenger and late at night you might find one out and about rummaging through garbage or looking for food scraps. they are quite ugly and rather frightening looking and often carry rabies. you also see them a lot as roadkill b/c they're vision isnt great and they wander into streets late at night and are hit by cars! oh and it is pronounced poss-um (the "o" is silent). here is a picture of the ugly beast http://www.nps.gov/archive/prsf/nathist1/wildlife/mammals/images/virginia_opossum.jpg though they look much uglier when they startle you late at night!

Answer 7

North American marsupial, much favored in the stew pots of people who have the same father/ grandfather and are their own uncle/nephew, who live in shack communities in the Appalachian mountains.

Answer 8

it's an animal here in the US. A rodent or marsupial I think.

Answer 9

You already got really good answers, it is a marsupial, and it looks like this:
http://www.deskpicture.com/DPs/Nature/Animals/opossum.jpg
http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/graphics/opossum11sm.jpg
Greetings!★

Answer 10

kinda looks like a pig