Category Zoology

Do you know what a marsupial is? Marsupials are pouched mammals. The Virginia opossum or the common opossum is the only marsupial found in the United States and Canada. It is a solitary nocturnal animal.

The Virginia opossum’s diet is quite interesting; it eats anything including fruits, insects, earthworms, eggs, nestlings and birds, reptiles, amphibians and small mammals. It sometimes feeds on carrion as well. Insects such as grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles make up the bulk of its diet. It is interesting to note that it also eats venomous snakes; it is immune to pit viper venom. The animal is resistant to rabies as well.

It would not be wrong to say that Virginia opossums are good actors. If caught on the ground and is not able to escape, a Virginia opossum may become catatonic. That is, it would appear to be unconscious or dead, though most of its bodily functions would remain normal.

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Weasels are present almost everywhere; they live anywhere they can find cover and prey. They occupy a range of habitats including sand dunes, grassland, woodland and mountains. They are furry animals and different species of weasels vary in colour, size and behaviour. The least weasel is the smallest carnivorous mammal in the world.

Most of the waking hours of a weasel are dedicated to hunting and storing excess food. They are equipped to hunt even in deep snow. Weasels do not have the ability to store fat in their body. So, they need a constant supply of food to provide enough energy. These animals need to eat every 24 hours in order to avoid starving.

Weasels prey on rodents, such as voles and mice. They also eat birds or eggs when available. Weasels have evolved to prey on small animals as well. When rodents are scarce, they prey on rabbits too. Weasels are found in North America, northern South America, Europe, Asia, and the extreme north of Africa.

Picture Credit : Google

Minks are valued for their luxurious fur. There are two types of minks – the European mink and the American mink. The American is more popular among the two.

The American mink is a semiaquatic species of mustelid native to North America. It is a carnivorous animal. It has a long body, which allows the species to enter the burrows of prey. Apart from this, it is an agile swimmer and often dives to probe underwater nooks and crannies.

The American mink preys on rodents, fish, crustaceans, amphibians, and birds. It kills vertebrate prey by biting the back of the head or neck.

It also eats birds, including larger species like seagulls and cormorants. It occasionally searches for terrestrial prey such as hares and rabbits.

The pine marten was once abundant throughout most of Central and Northern Europe, but is now almost extinct. The pine marten of European and Central Asian forests is also called baum marten and sweet marten. They are usually found in wooded areas where they can nest in hollow trees, and old animal homes.

The pine martens are most active from dusk to night. They are also treetop hunters that can race skillfully along branches. They have sharp claws that enable them to climb and run on branches. They run fast on the ground as well. They have small, rounded, highly sensitive ears. Squirrels make a large portion of the diet of a pine marten. Their teeth are sharp and are adapted for eating small mammals, birds, insects, frogs, and carrion. They also feast on seasonally available produce such as autumn fruits and berries, but they favour animal food.

If you want to see a black-footed ferret, you should go to North America. It is a member of the weasel family and is endemic to North America.

A black-footed ferret has short legs with large front paws. It has strong jaws and teeth that are adapted for eating meat, and claws equipped for digging. The skull of this animal is usually large. It travels up to 18 kilometers a day in search of food. It preys on squirrels, mice, and other rodents.

Prairie dogs are essential to the survival of black-footed ferrets, as much of their diet consists of prairie dogs. The majority of their diet is constituted by prairie dogs. It is interesting to note that these ferrets hunt them in their own burrows, and take shelter in abandoned prairie dog dwellings. In fact, the population of black-footed ferrets was significantly affected when there was a decline in the population of prairie dogs.

Golden eagles, great horned owls, coyotes, American badgers, bobcats, prairie falcons, ferruginous hawks, and prairie rattlesnakes prey on black-footed ferrets.

Though a civet is often called a civet cat, it does not belong to the cat family. The civet is more closely related to the mongoose. It has a unique appearance that has bagged world attention.

The face of a civet cat looks like a weasel. Its body resembles that of a cat and its tail, a raccoon’s. It is a nocturnal animal that preys on snakes and small mammals. It also eats fruits, berries and some vegetables.

Civets catch their prey by stalking and then pouncing. Once the prey is caught, they bite the prey repeatedly and eat large pieces. Some civets like the African palm civet feed on carrion as well. The African palm civet is a prominent member of the civet family.

Civets are known for raiding farms for small livestock, including chickens, lambs, and turkeys.