January-February 2024 • Nebraskaland 35
adaptation among carnivores to prevent them from
consuming diseased meat. So, what happens to the opossum?
Well, it can take anywhere from a few minutes to several
hours for the opossum to become mobile again.
Prehensile Tails, Sort of
A Virginia opossum is around the size of a large house
cat. It has a triangular-shaped head, a long, pointed nose,
is mostly covered in grayish fur, and it has a tail, which is
A Virginia opossum climbs a tree near Cherry Creek at Fort Robinson State Park. JUSTIN HAAG, NEBRASKALAND
In Nebraska, the common distribution of opossums is shown
in brown, less common shown in gold.
TIM REIGERT, NEBRASKALAND
