Opossums — Reading Comprehension Lesson

Reading Passage

Opossums

The Virginia opossum is the only marsupial native to North America. Like kangaroos and koalas, opossums give birth to tiny, undeveloped young that crawl into a pouch on the mother’s belly to continue developing. A newborn opossum is about the size of a honeybee. After about two months in the pouch, the young opossums climb onto their mother’s back and ride along as she forages.

Opossums are omnivores and highly adaptable scavengers. They eat almost anything — insects, fruits, berries, small animals, garbage, and even carrion. This flexibility makes them successful in a wide range of environments, including suburban neighborhoods. Opossums are beneficial to have around because they eat large numbers of ticks, cockroaches, and other pests.

Opossums are famous for “playing dead” when threatened by predators. This response, called thanatosis, is involuntary — the opossum enters a catatonic state, rolls onto its side, opens its mouth, and emits a foul smell. This can fool predators that only eat live prey. Opossums also hiss and show their teeth as a first line of defense, only falling into the death-feigning state if that fails.

Opossums have several distinctive physical features. Their prehensile tail can grip branches, and their rear feet have an opposable thumb-like digit for gripping. They are largely immune to the venom of rattlesnakes and cottonmouths. Opossums are nocturnal and prefer to shelter in burrows dug by other animals. Despite their ragged appearance and reputation, they are clean animals that groom themselves frequently.

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