Gray four-eyed opossum facts for kids
The gray four-eyed opossum (Philander opossum) is a cool opossum species that lives in Central and South America. You can find it from southern Mexico all the way down to Peru, Bolivia, and southwestern Brazil. It lives in forests, whether they are untouched, growing back, or a bit changed by people. It can live from sea level up to about 1600 meters high, but usually stays below 1000 meters. This animal is part of a big group of opossums called Didelphimorphia.
Quick facts for kids Gray four-eyed opossum |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Philander
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| Species: |
opossum
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| Gray four-eyed opossum range | |
What Does It Look Like?
This opossum gets its name from the two white spots above its eyes. These spots look a bit like extra eyes! Its tail has two colors: the end part is light, and the longer part closer to its body is darker gray. The very end of its tail has no fur.
Its fur on its back is gray. The fur on its belly, throat, and cheeks is a creamy color. Adult opossums have black ears, except for the part closest to their head. Wild gray four-eyed opossums usually weigh between 200 and 674 grams (about 7 to 24 ounces). Opossums kept in zoos can weigh up to 1.5 kilograms (about 3.3 pounds). Their body length is about 22 to 33.1 centimeters (8.7 to 13 inches). Their tail is similar in length, from 19.5 to 35.5 centimeters (7.7 to 14 inches).
How Does It Behave?
The gray four-eyed opossum is a nocturnal animal, which means it is active at night. It is also a solitary animal, preferring to be alone. It spends some of its time in trees, making it partly arboreal. You will often find these opossums in wet areas, especially near streams. However, they can explore many different types of plant areas. They are also very good swimmers!
These opossums do not have a fixed territory. They move around depending on where they can find enough food and other things they need. They eat both plants and animals, so they are omnivorous. Their diet includes small animals, leaves, seeds, and fruits.
Unlike some other opossums, like the Virginia opossum in North America, the gray four-eyed opossum does not "play dead." Instead, it is quite brave and will fight if it feels threatened by a predator. When it feels aggressive, it might open its mouth wide and make a loud hissing sound. Some people say it is "the fiercest fighter of the opossums." Even though it is mostly active at night, you might sometimes see it during the day. It is great at climbing trees and swimming. It moves quickly and seems more aware of its surroundings than other opossums.
Gray four-eyed opossums build their nests using dry leaves. They make their homes in hollow trees, in the forks of tree branches, inside fallen logs, or in burrows in the ground. When they sleep, they roll up into a ball. Even though their eyes are closed, those white spots above their eyes can make them look like they are still awake!
Reproduction
Gray four-eyed opossums usually have babies during the rainy season. This is because there is more fruit available then, which means more food. During the dry season, fewer babies are born because there is less fruit. A mother opossum usually has about four to five babies in each litter. She can have two to four litters each year.
Sadly, many young opossums do not survive while they are still nursing in their mother's pouch. This happens more often during the dry season. The mother's age also plays a big part in how many babies survive. If the mother is younger than 11 months, more of her babies might not make it.
The babies grow inside their mother for about 13 to 14 days. When they are born, each newborn weighs about 9 grams (0.3 ounces). They stay in their mother's pouch and drink milk until they are about 68 to 75 days old. After they stop nursing, they stay in their mother's nest for another 8 to 15 days. Then, their mother becomes more aggressive and makes them leave the nest to live on their own.
Its Diet
The gray four-eyed opossum eats many different things, which is why it is called an omnivore. Its diet includes fruits, nectar, insects, small mammals (like mice), birds, reptiles, amphibians, crabs, snails, and earthworms. What it eats can change depending on the season and what food is available.
Because it eats so many different things, the gray four-eyed opossum might come across and even eat venomous snakes. While the bites from these snakes would be harmful to most animals, the gray four-eyed opossum is special. It can handle the snake's poisons! This is because it has special proteins in its blood that can stop the toxins from working. These proteins are already in the opossum's body before it even meets a snake, so this ability is something it is born with, not something it learns.
