Ever seen a weird looking animal in your backyard and wondered if it was a possum or an opossum? You’re not alone! These two animals get mixed up all the time, and it’s no wonder why. Their names sound almost identical, they’re both marsupials, and they both have that distinctive look that makes you do a double take.
But here’s the thing: possums and opossums are actually completely different animals. The difference between these two creatures goes way beyond just spelling. They live on opposite sides of the world, have totally different behaviors, and even belong to different animal families.
Whether you’re trying to identify that critter that keeps getting into your garbage or you’re just curious about these fascinating marsupials, this guide will help you understand all the key differences. Let’s dive into what makes these animals so unique!
1. They Live on Completely Different Continents
The easiest way to tell if you’re looking at a possum or an opossum? Check your location! Opossums are exclusively found in North America, whereas possums are native to Australia, New Zealand, and China.
If you’re anywhere in the United States or Canada, that furry creature you spotted is definitely an opossum. The opossum lives in North America, particularly in the continental United States and southern Canada. These tough little animals have adapted to live everywhere from forests to cities.
On the flip side, if you’re Down Under or anywhere in the Pacific region, you’re looking at a possum. Possums can also be found in China, New Guinea, New Zealand, Tasmania, Sulawesi, and other islands of Indonesia. So basically, the difference between where you are in the world will tell you exactly which animal you’re seeing.
This geographical split makes identification pretty simple. No need to worry about confusing the two if you know where you are!
2. They’re Not Even Closely Related Animals
Even though they’re both marsupials (animals with pouches), possums and opossums are about as related as a house cat and a tiger. The difference between their scientific classifications shows just how far apart they really are.
Opossums are from the order Didelphimorphia, which translates to “double-wombed” in Greek. They belong to the largest extant marsupials in the Western hemisphere, with over 17 genera and 87 species. Think of them as the American branch of the marsupial family tree.
Possums belong to Diprotodontia or “two forward teeth” in Greek. It is the most diverse order with approximately 155 species. They’re actually more closely related to kangaroos and koalas than they are to opossums!
They are not even the same species, genus, subfamily, family, or order from a scientific classification perspective. That’s like comparing a dolphin to a shark just because they both live in the ocean and have fins.
3. One Has a Furry Tail, the Other Has a Naked Rat Tail
Want to spot the difference between a possum and an opossum instantly? Look at their tails! This is probably the most obvious visual difference between the two animals.
A possum’s tail is thick and furry, much like that of a squirrel. The name of one of the most widespread possum species–the common brushtail possum–highlights this feature. These fluffy tails are actually quite beautiful and help possums stay warm in cooler climates.
An opossum, on the other hand, can be recognized by its signature bare tail. With coarse fur covering its whole body up until the tail, this creature more closely resembles a large rat than the fluffier possum. Their tails might look weird, but they’re super useful!
Possums have thick and furry tails resembling those of squirrels. Opossums’ tails have no fur. They are so long that they account for almost one-third of their body length! Opossum tails work like an extra hand, helping them climb and grab things.
4. Possums Come in Wildly Different Sizes, Opossums Don’t
Here’s where things get really interesting. The difference between possum species when it comes to size is absolutely incredible.
Depending on their species, possums can range in size from less than an ounce to over 20 pounds. However, the brushtail possum averages around five pounds. Some are literally tiny enough to fit in your hand, while others are as big as a medium dog!
Possums come in all sizes—from the minuscule pygmy possum, scarcely larger than a thumb at just 70mm (2.8 inches) long and weighing only 10g (0.35oz), to the impressive brushtail possum, which can stretch over a meter (3.3ft) and weigh up to 10kg (22lbs).
Meanwhile, opossums are pretty predictable size-wise. Opossums are more uniform in size. They weigh between 8.8 to 13.2 pounds, with a length of 2.5 feet from nose to tail—larger than the common brushtail possum. If you see an opossum, you can be pretty sure it’ll be about the size of a house cat.
5. Their Faces Look Totally Different
Once you know what to look for, telling these animals apart by their faces becomes super easy. The difference between their facial features is like night and day.
The opossums of North America typically have pointed white faces with black eyes and jagged teeth. They have that classic “pointy rat face” look that some people find a bit scary (though they’re actually pretty harmless).
The possums of Australia, on the other hand, have rounded bodies and softer features. Possums typically have large brown eyes that take on an amber hue in the sunlight. They look much more like the cute, cuddly creatures you’d see in a Disney movie.
Opossums have pointed faces with long, narrow snouts and sharp teeth while possums have rounded faces and shorter, less-pointed snouts. It’s basically the difference between looking stern and looking friendly.
6. There’s Only One Type of Opossum but Dozens of Possum Species
This might be the most surprising fact about these animals. When it comes to variety, possums absolutely blow opossums out of the water.
There are many kinds of possum, but the Virginia opossum is the only variety of opossum that you’ll find in North America. That’s right, just one! While there are other opossum species in Central and South America, North Americans only deal with one type.
But possums? They’re like a whole family reunion! There are 27 different types of possums and gliders in Australia. They have a huge variety of sizes, shapes and appearances. You’ve got brushtail possums, ringtail possums, pygmy possums, sugar gliders, and so many more.
There are 23 possum species known in Australia, only 2 commonly cause impacts to humans. So while Australia has this amazing diversity of possum species, most of them stay out of people’s way.
7. They Have Completely Different Diets
Food preferences really show the difference between how these animals have adapted to their environments.
Possums are mostly herbivorous, enjoying a diet of leaves, herbs, sweet fruits, and even veggies. But some species (brushtail possums) don’t shy away from attacking bird eggs and small lizards. They’re basically the vegetarians of the marsupial world, with just a little bit of protein on the side.
Meanwhile, opossums are omnivores. From fruits and plants to carrion (dead animals), insects, and small mammals like rats, they eat just about anything in their surroundings. They’re like the ultimate recyclers of the animal kingdom!
In most Australian habitats, eucalyptus leaves are a significant part of the diet, but rarely the sole item eaten. It may also consume animal matter such as insects, birds’ eggs and chicks, and other small vertebrates. Many possums have specialized to eat eucalyptus leaves, which are actually pretty toxic to most animals.
8. Only Opossums Actually “Play Dead”
Here’s where we get to the famous behavior that everyone knows about. But guess what? The difference between which animal actually does this might surprise you!
The familiar opossum behavior of “playing dead” is not characteristic of possum species. That’s right, possums don’t play dead at all! This is purely an opossum thing.
When opossums feel threatened, they put on quite a show. When predators attack opossums and block any chance at escape, opossums lie on their sides, their muscles rigid, their bodies flexed and unresponsive to touch—right down to their toes. Their breathing and heartbeats slow down and become hardly perceptible.
The really wild part? No, opossums are not able to control whether or not they play dead. Playing dead is an involuntary response. This response is triggered when an opossum is cornered or is being stalked by a predator. It’s like fainting from fear, but way more dramatic.
Possums, on the other hand, are actually pretty curious animals. Instead of playing dead, they’re more likely to come check you out!
9. The Names Come from the Same Word but Took Different Paths
The story behind these names is actually pretty fascinating and shows how the difference between the animals came to be.
The word opossum is derived from the Powhatan language and was first recorded between 1607 and 1611 by John Smith (as opassom) and William Strachey (as aposoum). Possum was first recorded in 1613. So the opossum got its name first!
In the 17th century, Captain John Smith who was one of the colonists in the Jamestown colony in Virginia named the opossum based on an Algonquian word meaning “white beast.” The early American colonists were the first Europeans to encounter these strange marsupials.
Then, over a century later, things got confusing. Over one hundred years later in the late 1700s, different explorers traveled to Australia and New Guinea. There, one of the explorers—a naturalist by the name of Sir Joseph Banks— saw a creature he determined to be part of the “Opossum tribe” described in America. The name that this creature was given? Possum.
So basically, Sir Joseph Banks saw Australian marsupials and thought “Hey, these look like those opossum things from America!” and just dropped the “o” from the name. Thanks for the confusion, Sir Joseph!
10. They Live in Completely Different Ways
The difference between how these animals choose to spend their time really shows how they’ve adapted to their environments.
The common brushtail possum can be found in a variety of habitats, such as forests, semi-arid areas and even cultivated or urban areas. But no matter where they live, possums are tree lovers.
Possums live in the trees and occasionally come down to the ground to look for food. Common Brushtail Possums live in tree hollows and Common Ringtail Possums in the south of Australia build a nest out of sticks. They’re basically the apartment dwellers of the animal world, setting up cozy homes high above the ground.
Opossums are more like nomads. They don’t really have permanent homes and prefer to stay on the ground level. They’ll crash wherever they can find shelter for the day, whether that’s under a porch, in a hollow log, or even in someone’s attic. They’re much more opportunistic about where they sleep.
11. They Have Babies Differently
When it comes to raising families, these animals show some interesting differences in their approach.
Possums typically give birth to one young at a time compared to the many young that opossums give birth to at once; and, newborn possums are called joeys while opossum young are not. Possums follow the “quality over quantity” approach to parenting.
The gestation period lasts for 16-18 days, yielding a single, tiny baby, which climbs into the pouch of its mother without any help. The baby remains in the pouch for about 4-5 months. That one baby joey gets all of mom’s attention and care.
Opossums take a totally different approach. They have large litters of babies, sometimes up to 20 at once! Of course, not all of them survive, but the ones that do grow up pretty quickly. It’s more of a “throw everything at the wall and see what sticks” strategy.
Both approaches work well for their respective environments and lifestyles.
12. Humans Treat Them Very Differently
The way people interact with these animals really highlights the cultural differences between regions.
In Australia, possums are generally respected and protected. Possums are protected under the NPW Act. The NPW Act makes it an offence to catch, interfere with, harass or kill protected wildlife, or attempt to do so, without a permit. Australians have learned to live alongside their native marsupials.
However, this protection has caused some problems elsewhere. In 1837 possums were introduced into New Zealand to establish a fur trade. Unfortunately, with no predators and plenty of edible vegetation, possums have become such a problem in New Zealand that they’re now considered a major pest.
In North America, opossums have a more complicated relationship with humans. The opossum was once a favorite game animal in the United States, particularly in the southern regions which have a large body of recipes and folklore relating to it. These days, most people see them as either helpful (they eat lots of ticks and pests) or annoying (they get into garbage and can look scary).
The Bottom Line
Now you know the real deal about possums vs opossums! These aren’t just two names for the same animal. They’re completely different creatures that happen to share similar names due to a historical mix-up.
Remember the key points: if you’re in North America, it’s an opossum with a naked tail that plays dead. If you’re in Australia or nearby regions, it’s a possum with a furry tail that’s probably just curious about you.
The next time someone uses these names interchangeably, you can share some fun facts about how these amazing marsupials are actually worlds apart. Both animals are pretty awesome in their own ways, and now you can appreciate what makes each one special!
