Jack the Virginia Opossum
Born: March 2022
Arrived at WSWC: September 15, 2022
Sex: Male
Jack arrived at the wildlife center in September 2022 as a young adult. He was just spending his first weeks away from his mom when he suffered head injury. We don’t know what happened, but the impact caused a globe luxation (eye out of socket) in his one eye. The eye needed to be removed by our veterinary partners at Animal Hospital of Dauphin County. Once healed from surgery, Jack was feeling better than ever, but struggled to adapt with his new disability. Without the necessary skills to survive in the wild, Jack became a permanent ambassador for his species at the wildlife center.
About Virginia Opossums
Size: Can weigh up to 14 pounds with males usually being larger than females. On average, they weigh about the same as a house cat.
Lifespan: In the wild, Virginia Opossums usually only live one to two years. In captivity, they can live up to five years.
Diet: Virginia Opossums are omnivores, eating just about anything in the wild! Their number one food source is insects, but they also enjoy carrion (decaying flesh of dead animals), fruits, nuts and plants.
Reproduction: Opossum joeys are born only the size of a bumble bee. The joeys make their way into their mother’s pouch where they spend the next several weeks attached to a nipple. As they age, the joeys start exploring outside of the pouch and riding on their mother’s back while she forages. Opossums usually have two litters per year, averaging eight joeys per litter.
Range: Opossums inhabit a variety of habitats from deep forests to inner cities. Virginia Opossums are the only marsupial in the United States and Canada, occupying nearly every state in the U.S. except in the most northern areas as the winters are too cold.
Other Facts: Opossums are nomadic and do not keep nests or dens. An adult opossum may travel two miles every night while foraging. Opossums have opposable thumbs on their hind legs. The prehensile tail of an opossum helps them balance while climbing and carry objects, but an adult opossum is too heavy to hang from their tail.
