You can frequently spot them at night scurrying across the yard. They are nocturnal, nest in trees and have long, prehensile tails that cause some people to describe them as looking like “giant rats.” But opossums, of which there are more than 60 species, are actually marsupials and so in the same family as kangaroos.
They are fascinating creatures, extremely adaptable, which allows them to flourish in close proximity to humans in urban areas. They are highly unlikely to carry rabies, and are immune to the venom of rattlesnakes and cottonmouths. And they do actually “play dead.”
Find out everything you ever wanted to know about opossums at the Chattanooga Nature Center this Saturday at 11 a.m. or 2:30 p.m. when the Center presents “Awesome Opossum,” one their new series of talks on animals.
Free with admission, $10 adults/$7 kids. Chattanooga Nature Center & Arboretum, 400 Garden Rd. Reservations: (423) 821-1160, ext. 0.
— Staff