Klarinet Archive - Posting 001067.txt from 1999/12

From: "redcedar" <redcedar@-----.au>
Subj: RE: [kl] zoology
Date: Thu, 30 Dec 1999 20:38:29 -0500

I thought Dee was probably correct until I consulted the Macquarie
Dictionary and also the Oxford Reference Dictionary, and I learnt something.
Both stated that "opossum" is the colloquial form of "possum", not the other
way around, at least in Australia. Apparently the American opossum is a
marsupial of the family Didelphidae, and the Australian possum is a
marsupial of the family Phalangeridae. I assume this means they are
different animals, but to what extent they differ, I haven't a clue.
Fascinating stuff!!!!!

Rien, the possums we had were about the size of a large cat with long
brush-tails. They are quite different from wombats, which are generally
much larger bodied burrowing marsupials, heavily built with short legs,
somewhat resembling a small bear.

Michael

-----Original Message-----
From: Dee D. Hays [mailto:deehays@-----.com]
Subject: Re: [kl] zoology

----- Original Message -----
From: "Rien Stein" <rstein@-----.nl>
Subject: [kl] zoology

> ... BTW: is a possum the same, to the wombat related animal, as an
opossum?
>

Yes, possum is the the same as opossum. It is simply a short form or slang
variation of the word opossum. The short form is used quite a bit in
speaking but generally would not be used in formal writing unless quoting a
person's actual words.

Dee Hays
Canton, SD

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