It is also not uncommon to see the signs of frostbite on an opossum’s furless ears, nose, and tail. For this reason, opossums often use homes, sheds, garages, and other buildings as refuges from the cold. They remain active year round and do not hibernate. Massachusetts is near the northern end of the opossum’s geographic range and as a result they can have difficulty dealing with the cold temperatures experienced here. They den in abandoned burrows, tree cavities, hollow logs, and brush piles. Opossums are nomadic and tend to not den in the same area for consecutive nights. They are mostly nocturnal but are sometimes seen in daylight, especially when food is scarce. Opossums can be found in open woods and farmlands next to water, as well as suburban and urban areas.
Opossums have the smallest brain to weight ratio of any North American mammal regardless, they are an incredibly adaptable species that has been able to thrive in North America. They have 50 teeth, more than any other land mammal on this continent, which they may bare when threatened. Opossums are an overall grizzled white color with a pink nose, large black hairless ears with pink tips, and short dark legs. The hind feet have an opposable big toe that functions much like a human thumb. It uses its prehensile (grasping) tail to stabilize itself as it walks along tree branches.
Adults weigh 4–11 pounds and measure approximately 2–3 feet in length, including a long hairless tail. The opossum is an agile climber and good swimmer. While "possum" is a slang term that is often used, it is technically incorrect to use in reference to the Virginia opossum there is a distinct group of marsupials in Australia and New Zealand that are true possums. Marsupials are mammals that use a pouch to carry their young. Virginia opossums are the only marsupial found in the United States.
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