The Origin of Possums

The Virginia opossum is the only species found in the United States and Canada. It is often simply referred to as an opossum, and in North America it is commonly referred to as a possum (sometimes rendered as 'possum in written form to indicate the dropped "o"). The Australasian arboreal marsupials of suborder Phalangeriformes are also called possums because of their resemblance to opossums, but they belong to a different order. The opossum is typically a nonaggressive animal and almost never carries the virus that causes rabies. 

The word opossum is derived from the Powhatan language and was first recorded between 1607 and 1611 by John Smith (as opassom) and William Strachey (as aposoum). The word Possum though, was first recorded in 1613. Both men encountered the language at the English settlement of Jamestown, Virginia, which Smith helped to found and where Strachey later served as its first secretary. Strachey's notes describe the opossum as a "beast in bigness of a pig and in taste alike," while Smith recorded it "hath an head like a swine ... tail like a rat ... of the bigness of a cat. The Powhatan word ultimately derives from a Proto-Algonquian word meaning "white dog or dog-like beast. Their omnivorous diet includes insects, ticks, small rodents, frogs, birds, and berries. In residential neighborhoods, opossums forage for vegetables, fruits, garbage, bird seed, and pet food. Fresh meat and roadkill are also dietary staples. The opossum diet changes slightly depending on the season.

Many opossums die during the first year of their life, and adults usually live only about two years in the wild. Opossums are primarily woodland creatures, but are also frequently found in prairies, marshes, and farmlands. Opossums, sometimes referred to just as possums, are a benefit to ecosystems and a healthy environment beyond eradicating ticks. They will catch and eat cockroaches, rats and mice – in addition to consuming dead animals of all types (also known as carrion). Opossums live in forested or brushy habitats, but they have adapted well to living close to people in cities and suburbs. Opossums will den nearly anywhere that is dry, sheltered and safe. This includes burrows dug by other mammals, rock crevices, hollow stumps, wood piles and spaces under buildings.