Here are Ossum and Wee Ossum
from the Stuffed Animal House. The little opossum below is Possy
of the Coca-Cola 
International Bean Bag Collection and she represents
the USA. We have some Opossum in our Gift
Shop.
The opossum (Didelphis marsupialis)
is the only North American marsupial. Pouched mammals, such as
the kangaroo and the opossum are called marsupials. The young
are born premature and need to finish their development in the
mother's pouch.
An opossum is about the size of a Cottage
cat. The fur on the body is gray and the face white. It has a
pointed snout and a pink nose and a long, naked tail.
Opossums breed about once a year. The female
bears up to 20 tiny kits (about the size of a bee) who crawl
into her pouch, but when they get there they find only 12 or
13 teats. The first comers clamp onto a teat and won't let go
for the two months they remain in the pouch. This means 
that only the first 13 kits are
fed. All the others die of starvation. (Poor little things.)
After emerging from the pouch, the remaining infants ride about
on their mother's back for another few weeks. As they develop,
the young switch from mother's milk to a diverse diet of roots,
fruits, insects, and small mammals. Opossums are active mainly
at night.
One of the interesting aspects of this
animal is its behavior when confronted with a dangerous situation.
They play dead, becoming completely lifeless, mouth open, sometimes
drooling. I found an opossum in my yard in this catatonic state
after my two huge dogs terrified it. Even I thought the little
thing was dead. So I wrapped it up in a blanket and took it to
a safe place and left it alone. After about ten minutes the little
animal raised its head and looked around, then slowly got to
its feet and ambled away.
The opossum has a remarkable tail. The
tip is prehensile and it uses it as a fifth hand. Opossum is
an American Indian name which means "white animal."
The opossums belong in the family Didelphidae (double womb.)
They have a life span of about seven years.
Other animals that you can find
in the forest are:
Aardvark | Anteater
| Armadillo | Badgers | Bat
| Beaver | Bears
| Bighorn | Boar
| Bobcat | Chipmunk
| Cougar | Deer
| Elk | Ferret
| Fox | Groundhog
| Hedgehog | Kangaroo
Rat | Lynx | Marmot
| Marten | Moose | Mouse
| Opossum | Otter
| Porcupine | Potbelly
Pig | Rabbit | Raccoon
| Red Wolf | Reindeer
| Squirrel | Sloth
| Skunk | Tapir
| Tarsier | Weasel
| Wolf | Wolverine
