What's the difference between a opossum and a rat?

One big difference is that an opossum is a marsupial while a rat is a placental mammal. In addition, opossums are larger than rats and are less prone to venoms and diseases. But the two species have comparable lifespans (about 3 years) and diets (omnivorous).What's the difference between a opossum and a rat?
possums are marsupials they have pouches and rat are rodentsWhat's the difference between a opossum and a rat?
An opossum is a marsupial. In fact it is the only marsupial to be found in North America. Opossum are also larger than rats.





Rats are rodents and are placental mammals.
These are the major differences.


Virginia Opossum= Order Dilelphimorpha. The only Marsupial in North America. Has a prehensile tail which it uses to transport young when walking, climbing in trees, and for balance. Are more immune to Rabies than any other Mammal. One of the best scavengers (eats nearly anything) but mostly dead animals, and harmless, would rather play dead than attack. The worst a person has to fear, is looking at the sharp teeth and hearing the hiss.


Rat= Order Rodentia Rats carry fleas that spread bubonic plague, even today in modern times, carry and spread other diseases, can gnaw through anything; including cement, and are capable of adapting to living anywhere. They can grow to the size of a large house cat.
The rat is a rodent which means it's two front teeth grow all it's life. The dentition of the opossum is completely different. Also, the rat gives birth to a baby who was attached to the mother with a placenta. The possum gives birth to an extremely underdeveloped baby and it crawls to a pouch on the mother's belly where it continues it's develpment. Relative to each other i belive the opossum has slightly less developed sight but better olfactory senses.
Opossums are much bigger (think really big cat or larger), and very white. They also don't like to move real fast - they kind of waddle. Rats are smaller than cats, tend to be brownish, and scurry when they move. They both live in cities, and both are more likely to be seen at night. One big difference: opossums will climb trees to get persimmons (one of their favorite foods), so if you see something like a rat up in a persimmon tree, it's a possum, not a rat.
Opossum's hang upside down in trees by their tails and they are big! Yuck to both!

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