Does A or an go before opossum?

It’s pronounced possum most of the time when it’s pronounced, unless it’s being cited in Latin or by reading something. But, either way, if it starts with a pronounced vowel (if the O is pronounced at all) then the article is an; otherwise it’s a.

Why is possum spelled with an o?

Possums are native to Australia. When English explorers first met the Australian creature, they thought it looked like the North American Opossum. As a result, they called it a possum and recorded the name like North Americans would pronounce it (without the “O“).

Is opossum plural or singular?

It can be either “opossum,” i.e., identical with the singular on analogy with many other words for animals which have the same form in the singular and the plural, or a regularized “opposums” (but not a Latinate *”opossi” since the “-i” plural ending is generally used for only for nouns that end in “-us,” e.g., ” …

How do you use opossum in a sentence?

Opossum sentence example

There are 3 species of opossum .
The opossum (Didelphis) is represented by three or four species, two of which are so small that they are generally called wood rats.
The opossum of America is the only species out of Australasia which is thus provided.

Are opossums and possums related?

The American possums are actually called opossums, scientific name, Didelphimorphia. But our Australian possums are (scientific name) Phalangeridae. Both are marsupials, but that’s about it. Other than that, they are not really related at all.

Are opossums blind?

Contrary to popular belief, opossums aren’t blind at all. They just have terrible eyesight during the day. Their pupils are always dilated, and as nocturnal animals, an opossum’s eyesight improves drastically at night.

Do opossums eat ticks?

While possums wander around the forest or the outskirts of your own yard, they pick up ticks in their fur along the way, and then they eat them. All of them, well 95% at least. One possum will likely eat up to 5,000 ticks a season.

Do you say 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.

What’s the plural of platypus?

plural platypuses also platypi\ ˈpla-ti-ˌpī , -ˌpē \

What’s the plural version of possum?

Hi Rudy, The plural form of possum is possums. E.g. ”There are two possums in my apple tree. ”

What’s a group of opossums called?

A group of possums is called a passel. Although some families may be found in burrows together, they are generally solitary animals.

Is a sugar glider a possum?

The sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps) is a small, omnivorous, arboreal, and nocturnal gliding possum belonging to the marsupial infraclass.

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 .

What is the difference between a possum and an opossum?

Is an opossum considered as either a rodent or?

HOWEVER bizarre or rat-like it appears to be, possum is not a rodent . It is a marsupial mammal. All rodents belong to the order Rodentia whereas possums belong to the order Didelphimorphia. They are the same marsupial mammals as kangaroo, wallaby, and koala.

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.

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