MN90: Minnesota Marsupial

They have pink noses, small black ears and fleshy finger-like claws. What are they? Britt Aamodt introduces us to Minnesota’s only marsupial, the opossum.

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Producer: Britt Aamodt

Editorial support: Emily Krumberger

Mixing & mastering: Chris Harwood

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Transcript

Welcome to MN90: Minnesota History in 90 Seconds.

The opossum, or possum, is one of the world's oldest surviving mammals. Fossil evidence suggests the tiny marsupials have been around for 70 million years, but they've only been in Minnesota for the past century, and only then limited to southern Minnesota. However, in recent decades, the opossum has extended its range northward, though its naked ears and fleshy finger-like claws make them vulnerable to extreme cold. Opossums are North America's only marsupial, the mother nursing her young in a pouch for the first few months of their lives. The expression to “play possum” came from this creature, which sometimes feigns death when cornered by a predator. And yes, the North American opossum is spelled with an O to distinguish it from the Australian species spelled without an O, though American spellers often drop the O as well.

MN90 is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota's communities, made possible by funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Online at MN90.org.