The opossum is primarily dark gray in color but some resemble cinnamon, and, as in Heidi’s case, white opossums are known to exist. Is there a difference between an opossum and a possum? The name is derived from aposoum, a Virginia Algonquian word meaning “white beast.” The first recorded reference to the opossum in literature came in 1610 in the following passage from A True Declaration of the Estate of the Colonie in Virginia: “There are … Apossouns, in shape like to pigges.” In the late 1700s, Sir Joseph Banks, a naturalist who accompanied Captain James Cook on his first great voyage, likened a furry creature he saw in Australia to “an animal of the Opossum tribe.” The term for the ringtail marsupial that he spotted was shortened to possum. Is There A Better Word Than “Quit” When Leaving A Commitment? “It nearly worked,” he added. People in this region do not usually pronounce the “ O”. Both animals are marsupials, but possums are more closely related to kangaroos. He told me that humans cannot outrun a bear — they are great sprinters and climbing a tree is no good. These Are Some Of The Best Words To Describe Scorpios. You can, indeed, write opossum and say it like "possum" and be using an officially recognized pronunciation. English colonists living in Jamestown derived the word from its equivalent in Powhatan, a language spoken by the Virginia Algonquian tribe. The possum and the opossum are both hunted animals and possess an instinct to play dead, or “play possum” when threatened. Literally, the word means “white dog or beast” in Powhatan. Possums, on the other hand, live in Australia, New Guinea, Sulawesi, New Zealand, and China.

In North America, the animal officially called an opossum is a white and gray marsupial of the order Didelphimorphia.

In North America, the animal officially called an opossum is a white and gray marsupial of the order Didelphimorphia. Writing, grammar, and communication tips for your inbox. Possums appear in poetry too.

The journey is full of adventures for the two lovable creatures. Build a city of skyscrapers—one synonym at a time. She has quite a few memorable escapades as she steals food from the dog’s bowl, almost gets captured by an owl, and makes friends with other animals and the Green family. But here’s where it gets confusing: in North America, people often shorten opossum to possum when talking about the creatures prowling around the backyard at night. For instance, most would assume that an Australian saying “possum” is referring to the animal that lives in his native country. From context, you can conclude that it’s “the only North American marsupial.” In fact, it is quite common for people to drop the O of opossum in speech and in print. What does all this mean for you? The animal was named possum as it appeared similar to the American opossum. Opossums are marsupials living in North America. Opossum, pronounced uh-poss-uhm, is still favored for formal writing. But there's more to this story.

Describe 2020 In Just One Word? Literally, the word means “white dog or beast” in Powhatan. This truncation of the original term may explain why many people are surprised to learn that opossum and possum are in fact two very different marsupial species of the arboreal kind. The answer is more complex and interesting than you might think. Australian author Mem Fox features the possum in a picture book called Possum Magic. They are entirely different animals. It seems the possum was playing possum! Both the possum and the opossum are nocturnal, nomadic omnivores and live on an expansive diet that includes insects, frogs, birds, snakes and fruits. Terri is an American, but she owns a zoo in Queensland, Australia.

(Note that there are other American marsupials, other than the Virginia opossum but also of the Didelphidae family, and they too are called both possums and opossums, with the latter being the prescribed name.). Opossums are native to the Americas. boffo Wait a minute, did you notice that she used possums and opossums in the same paragraph? How To Congratulate Yourself Without Bragging. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Le Clos had gone out strong in the heats and semifinal, but seemed to tire on both occasions. Study Up With Our Official SCRABBLE Dictionary. The possum is primarily gray in color. The room is the color of old opossum or new pumice, the color of newspaper without ink. There are many varieties of possums, including Gliders and Cuscus, while the opossum is a more limited species. In order to protect a fellow possum named Hush, Grandma Poss uses magic to make her invisible. Set your young readers up for lifelong success. The most famous marsupial of the moment is Heidi, the cross-eyed opossum from Germany. What most in North America call a possum is actually called an Opossum. Trump touts rally successes, stare decisis It turned out he was just playing possum. But there's another group of marsupials out there in the world that is also referred to with both terms. Also know that possum and opossum can both refer to some Australasian marsupials that can also be properly called phalangers. Coach Graham Hill said they wanted an outside lane for the final so he could try to shoot away unnoticed. Opossums originated in South America and entered North America in the Great American Interchange following the connection of the two continents.

However, if you are talking to a fellow American, he will likely know exactly what a possum is. So, in general, you can use opossum when referring to the American marsupial.



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