Happy #WildlifeWednesday! We are celebrating today with some interesting facts about the Virginia opossum! The Virginia opossum is the only species of opossum found in Ohio and is also the northernmost marsupial (animal that carries its young in a pouch) in the world! It is an omnivore and has 50 teeth, more than any other North American land mammal, and is able to eat a wide variety of food such as fruits, vegetables, eggs, carrion, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, invertebrates, and other mammals. Most young are born in the spring, between March and June. Newborns are the size of a honeybee and they climb into the mother’s pouch, where they will stay for about 2 and half months to grow and develop. They will then stay with their mother and siblings for another several months, riding around on their mother’s back while they learn survival skills. Opossums rarely contract rabies. Their body temperature is lower than that of other mammals and cannot host the virus. They also have a natural immunity to snake venom. One of its defense mechanisms is feigning death, or “playing possum.” This fear response to a predator or other threat is involuntary. The unconscious opossum will lay motionless and secrete a vile smelling fluid, deterring animals that eat live prey and convincing them it is dead or diseased or otherwise unappetizing. Compared to other mammals, the Virginia opossum has a notably short lifespan. The maximum life expectancy in the wild is only 2 years, and most survive only half that long. Even in captivity with veterinary care and a safe environment an opossum is not expected to live past the age of 4. Opossums are excellent climbers, using the opposable thumbs on their hind legs and their hairless prehensile tail to aid with gripping branches and objects.
The shooting stars of August, the Perseid meteor shower, are the brightest and most popular meteors of the year. And the best part is you don’t need any special equipment to see them - just your eyes. The Perseid meteor shower occurs when the Earth passes through the debris stream left behind by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, a periodic comet which returns to the inner Solar System every 133 years. You may have already seen one of these shooting stars and not realized it! We start seeing a few of these meteors around Mid-July. We see a few more every night until the peak or maximum is reached. This year the maximum will occur on the morning of Wednesday, August 12, and maybe into the morning of Thursday, August 13. Perseid meteors tend to increase in number as the night goes on. The shower is often best just before dawn. Fortunately, the Perseids occur during new Moon this year giving us perfect sky conditions for observing the meteors. Perseids will be visible each night through late August after which Earth is clear of the comet debris field. Just know that the number of Perseids streaking through the night sky tend to fall off rapidly after their peak. Darkness and patience are the keys to seeing shooting stars. Find a dark place with as little light pollution as possible – the darker the better. In truly dark skies having absolutely no light pollution people might see upwards of 90 meteors per hour on a moonless night. We won’t see that many in Ohio, maybe 20 to 40 per hour. The darker your observing spot the more you will see. Meteor showers seem to fly away or radiate from a common point in the sky called a radiant. The Perseid meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus giving them their name. The best way to observe the Perseids is to sit or lay with your back or the top of your head towards the northeast, the direction of Perseus at 11:00PM. This allows you to observe as much sky as possible directly above you. This shower is known to produce rich, bright streaks and more fireballs than any other annual meteor shower. Dress for the weather, bring a comfortable chair or blanket and your choice beverage. Happy meteor watching!
