Playing Possum

General

Opossums are slow-moving animals that are vulnerable to predators, such as dogs, coyotes, and foxes. They generally try to avoid confrontations. An opossum that feels threatened may hiss and show its teeth to scare off a potential predator, but it may also “play dead,” or “play possum.” If an opossum is very afraid when it…

Do Squirrels Hibernate?

Squirrels

Many people believe that all squirrels hibernate during the winter because they are seldom seen. Ground squirrels hibernate during the winter, but tree squirrels, such as the common eastern gray squirrel, do not. Squirrels spend their entire lives in an area of just three to five acres. They spend their winters living in the same…