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http://multitran.ru/c/m.exe?HL=2&L1=1&L2=2&EXT=0&s=possum

Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
Subclass: Changing Mammals (Metatheria)
Order: Pouched Mammals (Marsupialia)
Family: Didelphidae.

The Name "opossum": The first known usage of the word "opossum" occured in 1610 in promotional literature for the Jamestown, Virginia, settlement. It read: "There are ... Apossouns, in shape like to pigges." One must remember that the "pigges" (pigs) were a much more feral looking animal in the 1600s, with longer hair, unlike the round pink pigs we are accustomed to today. This word "Apossoun" was taken from the Algonquian Indian word for the animal. Although other animals in South America and Australia are called "possums," they are really not closely related to the Virginia animal, and only derive their name by dint of a general similar shape. True opossums are unique to North America.

Location: United States east of the Rocky Mountains, and along the coast west of the Rockies from British Columbia, Canada into Mexico and Central America as far south as Costa Rica.

Habitat: Terrestrial and arboreal. Lives in virtually all areas, but prefers wooded land.

Description: This opossum is about the size of a house cat, with short legs, an opposable, clawless big toe, and a long flattened, pointed nose. It has small, thin, hairless ears and a long, nearly naked, scaly prehensile tail. Its fur is long and gray or brown, with numerous white guard hairs throughout. It's length is 15"to 20", and it weighs 9 to 13 lbs, with females somewhat smaller than the males.

Behavior: This is the ONLY marsupial species found in the United States, and it is still hunted for its meat and fur by humans. The rest of the marsupials lost out to the carnivores in America, but this possum was able to survive by dint of two attributes. First, it can be a very fierce fighter, for its size. This can startle many carnivores into looking for a meal elsewhere. But in the event that the possum runs into a carnivore much larger, then it has the ability to play "dead." No matter what the attacker does, the possum just lies motionless. Playing "possum" like this does not always succeed, because a few carnivores enjoy carion (food that is already dead). However, in those instances where the larger animal is interested only in protecting its territory or a large female is only interested in protecting its young, this "dead" attitude works quite well, and the larger attacker simply walks away. The Virginia opossum is solitary and nocturnal. It is both arboreal and terrestrial, and builds its nest out of leaves packed into tree hollows. It has an omnivorous diet which primarily includes fruit, insects, eggs, and small vertebrates. Many opossums in the northern reaches of Canada often lose portions of the tail and ears to frostbite.

Reproduction: Females have a well developed pouch and produce an average of seven young per litter, which they can have once or twice a year. Gestation is twelve to thirteen days, and the young are weaned at about 100 days of age and then carried on their mother's back. (See the picture.)

Note: When in danger, the opossum can feign death. This is where we get the expression to "play possum."

text from http://www.americazoo.com/goto/index/mammals/4.htm

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http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/opossum.htm
http://www.animalbehavior.org:8081/ABS/ABSNews/1162090283