Do you pronounce the O in opossum?

The O in “opossum” is spelled but not pronounced. It is a silent letter, just like the H in the word “honest.” The articles “a” and “an” are correctly based on the first pronounced letter, not simply the first letter. So, you have the phrase “an honest man” not “a honest man,” even though H is a consonant.

Are opossums and possums related?

The American possums are actually called opossums, scientific name, Didelphimorphia. But for some reason, they are more commonly referred to as possums, just like our native Australian species. But our Australian possums are (scientific name) Phalangeridae. Both are marsupials, but that’s about it.

Why did they change to opossum?

The possum (scientific name: Phalangeridae) was given its name because of its resemblance to the opossum of the Americas. Sir Joseph Banks, who accompanied the great English explorer Captain James Cook, likened the furry creature he saw in Australia to “an animal of the Opossum tribe.”

Is it playing possum or playing opossum?

The name “opossum” comes from the Algonquian language word “aposoum” meaning “white beast.” Although opossums are not white, their face is. The term “playing possum” means to remain quiet and still – opossums fall over and appear to be dead. This action is involuntary and usually happens if the animal is frightened.

How is a possum really different from an opossum?

The main difference between possum and opossum is that the possum is an Australian marsupial whereas the opossum is a North American marsupial. Furthermore, a visually identifiable difference between possum and opossum is that the possum has a fleshy tail covered with fur while opossum has a rat-like, fur-less tail .

Are opossum and Possum the same thing?

In North America, opossum and possum describe the same thing, but in Australia the word possum refers to a completely different animal. Among the most well known of their respective types are the Virginia opossum and the brushtail possum.

Which is correct, possum or opossum?

Opossum is the correct term for _Didelphis virginiana_, the American Opossum. However, the little marsupials from and around Australia are different and known correctly as possums–without the ‘o’.

What is the difference between an opossum and a raccoon?

Definition. Possum is a tree-dwelling Australasian marsupial that typically has a prehensile tail while raccoon is a greyish-brown American mammal that has a foxtail face with a black mask and