Opossum

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/opossum

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Didelphimorphia
2. What is the conservation status?Least Concern
3. What does an opossum do when it feels scared?When an opossum feels threatened, it plays dead. It goes still, falls on its side, and even smells like rotting food to scare away predators.
4. How do baby opossums grow in their mom's pouch?Baby opossums, called joeys, are born very tiny and crawl into their mother's pouch. They latch onto a teat and grow there for up to 70 days before they can leave.

Marsupial: A mammal that typically gives birth to immature young that complete their development in a maternal pouch.
Omnivore: An animal that feeds on both plant and animal matter.
Thanatosis: A behavioral response to extreme threat where an animal feigns death, often accompanied by physiological changes.
Altricial: Describing young mammals that are born in an undeveloped state and require significant parental care.