{"id":1819,"date":"2024-03-27T15:08:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-27T22:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/?p=1819"},"modified":"2025-07-13T15:05:32","modified_gmt":"2025-07-13T22:05:32","slug":"possum-vs-opossum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/possum-vs-opossum\/","title":{"rendered":"Possum vs Opossum"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Possum and opossum are often confused due to their similar names and some shared traits. Here&#8217;s a breakdown of the key differences between these two marsupials:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Origin and Habitat:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-possum\/\">Possum<\/a>:<\/strong> These marsupials are native to Australia, New Guinea, and surrounding islands. There are several species of possums, including brushtail possums, sugar gliders, and spotted cuscuses.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-opossum\/\">Opossum<\/a>:<\/strong> Opossums are native to North and South America. There is only one species of opossum, the Virginia opossum (<em>Didelphis virginiana<\/em>), commonly referred to simply as &#8220;opossum.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Appearance:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Possum:<\/strong> Possums come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Many species have bushy tails, while some, like sugar gliders, have gliding membranes. Their fur can be grey, brown, black, or even spotted.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Opossum:<\/strong> Opossums are generally larger than possums, with a pointed snout and coarse grey fur. They have a hairless, prehensile tail that they can use for grasping branches.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" data-attachment-id=\"1822\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/possum-vs-opossum\/possum-vs-opposum\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/possum-vs-opposum.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1500,750\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"possum vs opposum\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/possum-vs-opposum-1024x512.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/possum-vs-opposum-1024x512.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1822\" srcset=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/possum-vs-opposum-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/possum-vs-opposum-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/possum-vs-opposum-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/possum-vs-opposum.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Diet:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Possum:<\/strong> Possums are mostly omnivorous, feeding on leaves, fruits, insects, and even small animals.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Opossum:<\/strong> Opossums are also omnivorous, with a diet that includes fruits, insects, carrion, and small animals.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Playing Dead:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Possum:<\/strong> While some possum species may hiss or bare their teeth when threatened, playing dead (also known as thanatosis) is not a common behavior among Australian possums.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Opossum:<\/strong> Opossums are famous for their &#8220;playing dead&#8221; act when threatened. They will go limp, drool, and even emit a foul odor to deter predators.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Relatives:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Possum:<\/strong> Possums are more closely related to kangaroos and wallabies, which are also found in Australia.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Opossum:<\/strong> Opossums are not closely related to Australian possums. In fact, they are the only marsupial species native to North America.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"373\" data-attachment-id=\"1821\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/possum-vs-opossum\/2x1-possum-vs-opposum-3\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/possum-vs-opposum-3.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1500,547\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;KattWmn Design&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;2x1 - possum vs opposum (3)&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"2&amp;#215;1 &amp;#8211; possum vs opposum (3)\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/possum-vs-opposum-3-1024x373.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/possum-vs-opposum-3-1024x373.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1821\" srcset=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/possum-vs-opposum-3-1024x373.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/possum-vs-opposum-3-300x109.jpg 300w, https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/possum-vs-opposum-3-768x280.jpg 768w, https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/possum-vs-opposum-3.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In a nutshell:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Possums live in Australia and New Guinea, while opossums are from North and South America.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Possums have a wider variety of appearances, while opossums have a more uniform look.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Both are omnivores, but possums are less likely to play dead than opossums.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Possums are related to kangaroos, while opossums are the only marsupial native to North America.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>So, the next time you encounter the term &#8220;possum,&#8221; consider the context to determine if it refers to the furry critters of Australia or the unique opossum of the Americas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-2571651847880215\"\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\n<!-- banner ad -->\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\n     style=\"display:block\"\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-2571651847880215\"\n     data-ad-slot=\"7178535257\"\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Possum and opossum are often confused due to their similar names and some shared traits. Here&#8217;s a breakdown of the key differences between these two marsupials: Origin and Habitat: Appearance:&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1820,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,144,34],"tags":[48,143,26,45,51,31],"class_list":["post-1819","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-animal-bytes","category-animal-face-offs","category-animal-tales","tag-american-animals","tag-animal-comparisons","tag-animal-facts","tag-australian-animals","tag-marsupials","tag-wild-animals"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/possum-vs-opposum-2.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1819","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1819"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1819\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1833,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1819\/revisions\/1833"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1820"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1819"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1819"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1819"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}