Opossums are adaptable, nocturnal marsupials native to North America. Understanding their resting habits and shelter choices provides insight into their daily lives.
The Basics of Possum Sleep
Opossums are primarily nocturnal, meaning they are most active during the night and typically sleep throughout the day. This behavior helps them avoid diurnal predators and allows them to forage when other animals are less active. The Virginia opossum generally sleeps for extended periods, averaging 18 to 19 hours daily, though this can sometimes extend up to 21 hours. Sleep duration varies based on age, season, and food availability.
When resting, opossums often curl into a tight ball to conserve body heat in cooler conditions. Alternatively, they may stretch out to cool when temperatures are warmer. A common misconception is that opossums sleep hanging upside down by their tails. While their prehensile tails are strong for balance and grasping, they lack the muscle structure for prolonged hanging. Actual sleep in this position is not typical; young opossums might briefly hang this way, but adults do not. Their sleep is generally light, allowing them to be easily roused, but they can also enter a deeper state where they appear almost lifeless.
Where Possums Sleep
Opossums are opportunistic when it comes to selecting their sleeping locations and do not construct elaborate dens of their own. Instead, they utilize existing shelters and frequently change their den sites, sometimes every few days, as a strategy to evade predators. This nomadic behavior allows them to take advantage of readily available cover.
Their preferred natural sleeping spots include hollow logs, tree cavities, brush piles, and rock crevices, which offer protection from the elements and potential threats. They also commonly appropriate abandoned burrows, making these ready-made temporary homes.
In urban and suburban areas, opossums frequently seek refuge in human-made structures. These can include attics, sheds, garages, or spaces underneath porches and decks. Such locations provide warmth and security, especially during colder months when opossums are vulnerable to frostbite on their hairless tails, ears, and toes. They may line dens with dry leaves or other soft materials to improve insulation and comfort.
Distinguishing Sleep from Other Possum Behaviors
It is helpful to distinguish between actual sleep and other opossum behaviors. One well-known behavior is “playing possum,” or thanatosis, an involuntary defense mechanism triggered by extreme fear or threat.
During thanatosis, the opossum enters a comatose-like state, becoming rigid and unresponsive, often with an open mouth, hanging tongue, and unmoving eyes. Breathing and heart rate slow significantly, and they may release an unpleasant-smelling fluid and bodily excretions, further convincing predators they are deceased. This physiological response is not a conscious act of playing dead but an automatic reaction designed to deter predators that prefer live prey.
Another behavior sometimes confused with sleep or hibernation is torpor. Opossums do not undergo true hibernation, which involves a prolonged period of deep dormancy with a drastic reduction in body temperature and metabolic rate. Instead, they may enter shorter periods of torpor, a state characterized by a less intense, temporary drop in body temperature and metabolic activity. Torpor typically lasts a few hours to a few days, serving to conserve energy during cold spells or when food is scarce. This adaptation allows them to survive challenging conditions without the deep, extended physiological changes seen in true hibernators.