©Copyright Animal Parties 2010

©Copyright Animal Parties 2010

 

Carnivore
An animal whose main diet consists of meat.
Herbivore
An animals whose main diet consists of plant, vegetable & fruit matter
Omnivore
An animal whose diet consists of meat, plant, vegetable & fruit matter in similar quantities
Insectivore
An animal whose main diet consists of insects
Captivity
An animal that is cared for in an artificial environment
Habitat
The environment in which the animal survives & thrives
Diurnal
An animal which is active during day light hours
Nocturnal
An animal which is active during the night time
Crepuscular
An animal which is most active at dawn & dusk
Predator
An animal which hunts other animals for food
Prey
An animal which is hunted by a predator
Bird
An animal with warm blood, egg laying & with feathers covering their body. Most have the ability to fly
Reptile
A cold blooded animal with a protective skin, scales or shell covering the body. Most lay eggs
Mammal
Warm blooded animals with hair or fur. Almost all have live young
Invertebrate
An animal without a spinal column - backbone
Amphibian
An animal which lay eggs in water, live on land & water & have moist skin. Most adults have 4 legs
Insect
An animal with 6 legs and 3 separate body parts
Mollusc
An animal with a hard shell and muscular foot

home - animals - mammals - virginia opossum

©Copyright Animal Parties 2010Virginia Opossum

Virginia opossum
Didelphis virginiana


Found in North America, Virginia Opossums are omnivores. In the wild they would eat lots of invertebrates and any small mammals or nestling birds they come across, they also eat fruit and vegetables. In captivity we feed them around 40% meat including dead mice, chicks and insects, 50% vegetables and 10% fruit and roughage.

Crazy fact

Virginia opossums are actually marsupials like kangaroos and the females have a pouch, in which they raise their joeys. They are the only marsupial found in North America, with most marsupials coming from Australasia and a few species that are found in South America.