Opossums - Pictures
Opossums - DescriptionThe Virginia Opossums is among the most primitive and generalized of Opossums. This animal is about the size of a cat. Its legs are short, with dexterous toes. The muzzle is long, pointed, with small thin, hairless ears. The Opossum's tail is long, prehensile, and nearly naked. Opossums have 50 teeth and is the highest number found in any mammal.Opossums - PetsIn most states it is illegal to keep wild Opossums as pets. Opossums that are in the pet market are the descendants of lab animals and are many generations away from their wild ancestors. Wild caught animals may have the potential to spread diseases, however, Opossums are more resistant to rabies than any other mammal. They eat canned cat food with pleasure and they catch flies, cockroaches, beetles, and mosquitoes. Any diet that includes meat or protein products is dangerous for the omnivorous Opossum because it may cause metabolic bone disease. Opossums are clean animals; they wash their hands and face after every meal like cats. Learning and discrimination tests rank the Opossum above dogs.Opossums as pets have some disadvantages. They don't like to be picked up and they are difficult when attempting to place them in their cage. Their cage should be cleaned very often. They need water available at all times and may die without it. Opossums usually sleep during the day and do most of their running around at night. Cases of cannibalism have been reported in Opossums. Usually it's the cause of poor husbandry, overcrowding, stress, improper diet, and the mixing of different sized Opossums.
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