Opossum vs. possum — Adele’s Student Essay
Opossum Vs. Possum
The names opossum and possum are commonly interchangeable in North America. The common marsupial is seen in gardens, on farms, and in woodlands. They can often be found in garbage cans, as well as occasionally seeking refuge under people’s roofs. Both terms are used to describe Didelphidae, or the Virginia North American Opossum discovered when the Jamestown Colony was established. The name was first recorded in 1610. The order consists of 103 species in North and South America. These animals resemble light-colored rodents with a rat-like bare tails, and sharp teeth similar to a cat. While they are seen as vermin, they are very helpful to gardeners as they eat thousands of ticks a year. While they are of little to no danger to humans, they can be harmful to horses due to a virus they carry.
While both names refer to a marsupial, the possum lives on a different continent, and is a different animal altogether. Phalangeridae, or the Possum, is a marsupial from the continent of Australia. It belongs to an order that consists of 70 other species throughout Australia and Asia. Its name derives from the observation of Sir Joseph Banks. He stated that the creature was “an animal of the opossum tribe”.
It is found in a variety of colors, from brown to black, to gold and silver. They are also called the common bush-tail possum, and they better resemble a chinchilla instead of a rat. Their fur is much thicker than the Virginia Opossum, and its ears are larger. Their snouts are also shorter, while the Opossum has a longer snout shape. They get their common name from their bushy tails, which differ from the former’s bare tail.
While these two animals are quite different in general appearance, they have several similarities.
They both belong to the marsupial group, which means they raise their young inside a pouch. They are both omnivorous and opportunistic, eating bird eggs, insects, flowers, seeds, roots, and leaves. They both have similar shaped noses, foot shape, and eye colors.
While possums have defensive measures against predators, the distinct act of playing dead is not one of them. The Virginia Opossum will commonly play dead when approached by a predator or another threat, which is meant to repel. This is where the term “playing possum” came from, while it uses incorrect spelling.
The possum is also more closely related to other marsupials like the kangaroo, the koala, and the wallaby, while the opossum is only a distant relative.
The spelling for Opossum is less popular when it comes to describing the North American animal. The majority of Americans spell it using the Australian name, while this is uncommon in Australia to mistake the two names.
This could be due to the difficulty in spelling opossum, as the o at the beginning is not pronounced. The spelling was most likely dropped for that reason when settlers reached Australia, thus birthing the more simple “possum”.
The common English terms shared with America and Australia most likely adapted the term possum as an alternative to opossum in America.