Well into the twentieth century in the rural South, a possum hunt remained a favorite cold-weather sport … Evan Jones
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: any of various small to medium-sized, nocturnal, chiefly arboreal marsupial mammals (especially families Phalangeridae, Pseudocheiridae, and Petauridae) of Australia and New Guinea that have thick, soft fur, a prehensile tail, and a rounded head with protruding eyes and that are mainly herbivorous
A member of Australia's rich endemic possum population, it is named for its lemur-like eyes. Jo Chandler
Note: Possums have a head and body ranging in length from 12 1/2 to 25 1/2 inches (320 to 655 mm) with a tail nearly as long.
Recent Examples on the WebThe best spot in this match came when Orange Cassidy tried to play possum and Ospreay missed an initial dive, only to quickly hit a follow-up shooting star. Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 27 June 2022 The neurological disease is caused by a parasite found in possum droppings and can be treated with medicine. Elisha Fieldstadt, NBC News, 11 Aug. 2022 Soon, Hugh Hefner reportedly got one (encased in Tasmanian-possum pelt), as did Tommy Smothers and a member of the Jefferson Airplane. Patricia Marx, The New Yorker, 20 June 2022 Researchers have found that racoon and possum populations have declined in the Everglades precipitously since the snakes arrived. Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2022 Conversely, if the same tick feeds on an infected possum, the chance is only about 3 percent. Kat Eschner, Scientific American, 7 July 2022 And how do these women not know the difference between a possum and an armadillo? Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2022 Beyond all that, pace yourself, drink plenty of water and avoid that possum stew. Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 14 June 2022 The rescue team headed to the possum's location on the mooring close to the pier. People Staff, PEOPLE.com, 29 Mar. 2022 See More