Do Opossums Climb Well?

Opossum characteristics
The Olympia opossum is an animal with a pouch and that is why it belongs to the family of marsupials. They carry their young in the pouch and later on the back, till they are ready to continue on their own. The size of an opossum can be considerably various, however usually is the size of a house cat. Their fur color can vary from brown to black and the opossum´s tail is long, hairless and needed for climbing and balancing. As the female carries young around firstly in her pouch and later on its back, it has to be very cautious not to drop them. As these little creatures climb very well they spend a part of their life up in the trees. The prehensile tail is helping them with climbing, for grabbing the material for their den or for balancing while climbing in order to stabilize. In that case, the tail is wrapped around the branches while spending time in the trees. Opossums also have ears without hair, piglet like snout and a pink nose. Its 50 sharp teeth usually needed for pure display of force and opposable thumbs with no claws on them. The Washington opossum´s limbs are rear, which makes them quite unique.



Opossums climbing habitat
Opossums are also pests and in search of food, water, and shelter, usually come to human homes, where all can be easily found. Opossums are excellent climbers and can quickly find a way to the roof or the attic. They build a den there and usually have young, when you have opossums in the attic they most likely have a nest. In order to prevent nesting in your attic you need to install some barriers enable the climbing and make sure that no branches are in the vicinity of the Olympia house.

As mentioned before Washington opossums can live in the trees as well. And connected to their life in trees is also a myth. The myth is saying that opossums sleep in trees upside down and hanging by its tails. The fact being, opossums are earth bounded animals and live the most of their lives on the ground. Climbing trees are usually and escape way from predators or searching for food. They definitely do not sleep in branches or trees. They do however build several cozy dens and sleep in their safety on the ground just like many other animals. Their tail isn´t even remotely strong enough to hold an Olympia opossum while sleeping. Due to their body weight adult opossums would fall of a tree within a very short period of time. Youngsters, on the other hand, could last a little longer. But overall, the myth is only a myth.

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