Opossum

The opossum is a small marsupial from the family Opossumus maximus arborealis that is known for its ability to hang from trees by its tail. It is native to the deciduous forests of North America, where it feeds on slugs, red berries, thistle seed, and sticks. It ranges in length from 13-18 centimeters, has gray fur, large front teeth, and beady little eyes. It also has large ears, which help it hear better than other animal in the world. A common misconception about the opossum is that it is the same animal as the possum, which is actually a completely different animal from the family Possumus grandus ignoramus and is not at all able to hang from its tail.

The Opossum in Popular Culture

The opossum has appeared in various venues of popular culture including:

• Pogo Possum, the titular character from the comic strip of the same name created by Walt Kelly.

• Ozzie and Heather, the father and daughter team of opossums in the popular full-length animated feature "Over The Hedge." They were voiced by William Shatner and Avril Lavigne.

• Possible Possum, an animated character of the 1950s.

• On an episode of Bizzare Foods, host Andrew Zimmern ate some opossum cooked with sweet potatoes.

• 'Possum Kingdom' is a single from the album 'Rubberneck' by the band 'The Toadies'.

• Possum Kingdom Lake is found in the American state of Texas.