You must have heard small, furry marsupials either being called possums or opossums.However, with the names being quite similar, it does make you wonder are they referring to the same animal? Are possum and opossum just different words for the same marsupial in different places?The answer is no, they are completely different animals! Possums and opossums are related, however they both belong to different species, genera, and even families. The possum belongs to the largest marsupial family of Diprotodontia, and the opossum is a part of the Didelphimorphia family which contains marsupial species from the Americas. There are also a number of species of both varieties. There are 67 species of possum and over 100 species of opossum! Though there are so many species of opossum, the whole group is represented by the Virginia opossum, which is the only marsupial in North America. There is still a lot of confusion as to which word refers to which animal, as both names are used interchangeably by some people! So the question is, which of these animals is known for playing possum? Read on to find out more about these amazing creatures, and answer to what differences make possums and opossums unique!If you enjoyed this article, do check out our other pages on difference between lynx and bobcat and difference between octopus and squid.Origin Of OpossumThe opossum, native to North America, was named by English colonists living in Jamestown. The word opossum was derived by them from the Powhatan word for ‘white dog or beast’, Powhatan being the language spoken by the Virginia Algonquian tribe. Originally spelt as ‘opassum’ or ‘aposoum’, the word has evolved over the years to become opossum.The possum, discovered to be native to Australia, New Zealand and China, was named by Sir Joseph Banks who was an English botanist who drew similarities between them, and Virginia opossums. Essentially, possums were named after opossums because of their similar appearance.An interesting fact is that even though these two animals are related, the possum is more closely related to kangaroos and koalas than it is opossums!Though there are a number of differences between both these creatures, people have been known to use the two words interchangeably. Only by a description of their features can one recognize whether the speaker is talking about a possum or opossum marsupial.How To Pronounce OpossumThe word ‘opossum’ is pronounced ‘uh-pos-uhm’. Contrary to belief, the ‘o’ at the beginning is not silent. While referring to opossums, you would say ‘an opossum’. Colloquially, Americans are known to use possum and opossum interchangeably when referring to the Virginia opossum. In fact, many people don’t know that the actual name for opossum is this, and will call it a possum with the ‘o’ silent! In writing, however, it is correct to use opossum while referring to this creature. The opossum is also found in Canada.Nowadays, opossums are known to be akin to large rats and are often called pests. They will often dig through garbage, scavenging for food. They are omnivorous in nature and feed on a variety of fruits, nuts, and grass. They hunt down small creatures such as snakes, birds, mice, and insects to feed on. Though initially wild, they have adapted well to urban surroundings as well and can be found scurrying through the suburbs or living in people’s backyards. Unlike possums, who live in trees, opossums prefer to live in dens and burrows. Opossums are known as farmer’s friends, as they eat pests such as cockroaches, crickets, and snails, which can wreck your plants. They are also known to squash any sources of rabies by eating small rodents, making them especially useful, despite their bad reputation as pests.How To Spell And Pronounce PossumOpossum vs possum pronunciation is tricky. The word possum, similar to opossum, is pronounced as ‘pos-uhm’, without the ‘o’ at the beginning. Both possum and opossum creatures are commonly referred to as possum, however, the word possum technically only covers the possum species living in the Eastern Hemisphere, mainly found in Australia and New Zealand.Unlike opossums, possums are more likely to be found in the wild. They are called herbivorous animals and feed on fruits, nuts. and seeds. They live in nests built from hay and grass, either in tree branches or hollows.They are both also nocturnal in nature, and do their hunting at night, which is when you are most likely to find them roaming about, their eyes shining in the moonlight!Are they the same animal?Though both possums and opossums are essentially furry marsupials, there are many differences between these animals. They belong to different orders, with the possum belonging to the Diprotodontia (meaning ’two forward teeth’) order which also contains kangaroos, wombats, and koalas from Australia and New Zealand. On the other hand, opossums belong to the order Didelphimorphia (meaning ’two wombs’). This order contains marsupials from the Western Hemisphere, which mainly contains North and South America.Opossums live in the Western Hemisphere and can be found mainly in the United States and southern Canada. The Virginia opossum, which the entire opossum family is named after, is the only marsupial found in the whole of North America, though there are around 100 opossum species spread all over the rest of the Western Hemisphere.On the other hand, possums can be found inhabiting the eastern side of the globe, with their main populations being found in Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, and China. There are around 67 species of possum, with the most famous possum being the common Brushtail possum species of Australia. Possums can be found living in communal nests on tree branches or in hollows. There are also a number of glider possum species, which have evolved to grow flaps of skin between their arms and legs, enabling them to soar in the air after jumping from great heights.In terms of appearance, there is a vast difference between possums and opossums. Possums are much smaller than North American opossums, with possums from various species varying in weight between 0.06-20 lb (0.03-9.1 kg). On the other hand, opossums are more similar in weight across species, weighing between 8.8-13.2 lb (4-6 kg), and are larger than the common brushtail possum.North American opossums can have fur of either white, cinnamon brown, or gray with their faces being white and pointed. They have gray ears, pink noses, and jagged teeth. Their eyes are small and beady, and they have thin, hairless rat-like tails.Possums are smaller, rounder, and are uniform in color all over. They can most commonly be found in colors of golden or brown and are quite furry, though white, gray, and black varieties exist as well. Possums have beautiful large eyes which shine amber in the sunlight. Their tails are long and bushy, with a movable tip and the bare patch on the underside helps them to grip tree branches and climb among them.Interestingly, the phrase ‘playing possum’, meaning to ‘play dead’, was coined after observing the native Virginia opossum species, which enters a stiff, comatose state when threatened by predators, essentially seeming dead. This state can last from between two minutes to two hours and deters any animals from hunting them down like prey. They are also very wary of strangers and can be quite nasty at times. So when you hear the phrase playing possum, it will refer to the American opossum and not the possum. Playing dead is only an extreme measure these animals will resort to when they feel really threatened, preferring to rather hiss at strangers who approach them and bare their teeth as a warning to stay away.Surprisingly, the actual Australian possum exhibits no such behavior when threatened. Tree-dwelling possums are also much friendlier, and will voluntarily walk up to strangers to interact with them and get treats. This makes it easy for illegal fur poachers and traders to capture them, and skin them to make coats. Despite this, their population seems to be stable, with measures being taken to curb the poaching of these lovely creatures.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for difference between opossum and possum then why not take a look at difference between straw and hay, o
You must have heard small, furry marsupials either being called possums or opossums.
