Opossums, with their distinctive appearance and nocturnal habits, often raise questions about their interaction with water. Virginia opossums, common across North America, navigate diverse environments. Understanding their aquatic abilities reveals how these adaptable creatures survive and thrive in various landscapes.
Possums and Water Environments
Virginia opossums are not aquatic animals, yet they commonly inhabit areas near water sources such as streams, ponds, marshes, and swamps. Their presence in these wet environments is often driven by practical needs, including foraging for food and seeking refuge. Opossums are omnivores with a diverse diet, and water bodies provide a rich supply of prey like insects, crustaceans, fish, and frogs. They also consume carrion and various plants there.
Water is also essential for hydration, drawing opossums to drink. They also utilize water bodies to escape predators. Their distribution is influenced by water availability.
Surface Swimming Skills
Virginia opossums are capable swimmers, using a style often likened to a “dog-paddle.” They propel themselves through the water with both front and hind limbs. Their tail acts as a rudder, aiding in steering and maintaining balance while swimming.
Physical characteristics offer some aquatic advantages. A layer of fat beneath their skin contributes to buoyancy, helping them stay afloat. Their fur is water-resistant, but not fully waterproof, meaning prolonged water exposure can lead to exhaustion. Opossums swim to cross small bodies of water, evade threats, or pursue food. They are not adapted for extended periods in water and can become exhausted.
Exploring Underwater Capabilities
While Virginia opossums are proficient at swimming on the surface, their ability to remain submerged underwater is limited. They can briefly dive and travel underwater, with some observations reporting them traveling up to 15 feet without immediately surfacing for air. During these brief submersions, opossums can control the closing of their nostrils and may keep their eyes open.
Opossums, however, are not built for sustained underwater activity or prolonged breath-holding, unlike truly aquatic mammals. Their dives are typically short and often occur as an immediate reaction to evade a threat. They do not routinely forage underwater for extended periods. This contrasts significantly with species like the water opossum, or yapok, a marsupial highly specialized for aquatic life with features such as webbed hind feet, a streamlined body, and a waterproof pouch that seals to protect its young during dives. The Virginia opossum’s fur, while somewhat water-resistant, does not offer the same level of protection for prolonged submersion, making them vulnerable to hypothermia or drowning if trapped or overly fatigued in the water.