New Page 1

LA GRAMMATICA DI ENGLISH GRATIS IN VERSIONE MOBILE   INFORMATIVA PRIVACY

  NUOVA SEZIONE ELINGUE

 

Selettore risorse   

   

 

                                         IL Metodo  |  Grammatica  |  RISPOSTE GRAMMATICALI  |  Multiblog  |  INSEGNARE AGLI ADULTI  |  INSEGNARE AI BAMBINI  |  AudioBooks  |  RISORSE SFiziosE  |  Articoli  |  Tips  | testi pAralleli  |  VIDEO SOTTOTITOLATI
                                                                                         ESERCIZI :   Serie 1 - 2 - 3  - 4 - 5  SERVIZI:   Pronunciatore di inglese - Dizionario - Convertitore IPA/UK - IPA/US - Convertitore di valute in lire ed euro                                              

 

 

WIKIBOOKS
DISPONIBILI
?????????

ART
- Great Painters
BUSINESS&LAW
- Accounting
- Fundamentals of Law
- Marketing
- Shorthand
CARS
- Concept Cars
GAMES&SPORT
- Videogames
- The World of Sports

COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY
- Blogs
- Free Software
- Google
- My Computer

- PHP Language and Applications
- Wikipedia
- Windows Vista

EDUCATION
- Education
LITERATURE
- Masterpieces of English Literature
LINGUISTICS
- American English

- English Dictionaries
- The English Language

MEDICINE
- Medical Emergencies
- The Theory of Memory
MUSIC&DANCE
- The Beatles
- Dances
- Microphones
- Musical Notation
- Music Instruments
SCIENCE
- Batteries
- Nanotechnology
LIFESTYLE
- Cosmetics
- Diets
- Vegetarianism and Veganism
TRADITIONS
- Christmas Traditions
NATURE
- Animals

- Fruits And Vegetables



ARTICLES IN THE BOOK

  1. Alligator
  2. Alpaca
  3. Anaconda
  4. Ant
  5. Anteater
  6. Antelope
  7. Baboon
  8. Badger
  9. Bat
  10. Bear
  11. Bee
  12. Boa
  13. Butterfly
  14. Camel
  15. Canary
  16. Cat
  17. Cheeta
  18. Chicken
  19. Chimpanzee
  20. Cobra
  21. Cod
  22. Condor
  23. Cormorant
  24. Cow
  25. Crab
  26. Cricket
  27. Crocodile
  28. Crow
  29. Deer
  30. Dog
  31. Dolphin
  32. Donkey
  33. Dove
  34. Duck
  35. Eagle
  36. Elephant
  37. Emu
  38. Falcon
  39. Ferret
  40. Fly
  41. Fox
  42. Gazelle
  43. Giraffe
  44. Goat
  45. Goose
  46. Gorilla
  47. Hare
  48. Hedgehog
  49. Heron
  50. Hippopotamus
  51. Horse
  52. Hyena
  53. Ibis
  54. Jackal
  55. Kangaroo
  56. Kingfisher
  57. Koala
  58. Leopard
  59. Lion
  60. Llama
  61. Lobster
  62. Louse
  63. Mantodea
  64. Mink
  65. Mole
  66. Mongoose
  67. Mosquito
  68. Mule
  69. Nightingale
  70. Octopus
  71. Opossum
  72. Orangutan
  73. Ostrich
  74. Otter
  75. Owl
  76. Panda
  77. Parrot
  78. Partridge
  79. Peacock (Peafowl)
  80. Pelican
  81. Penguin
  82. Pheasant
  83. Pig
  84. Pigeon
  85. Prawn
  86. Puffin
  87. Quail
  88. Rabbit
  89. Reindeer
  90. Rhinoceros
  91. Salmon
  92. Seagull
  93. Seal
  94. Shark
  95. Sheep
  96. Shrimp
  97. Silk worm
  98. Skunk
  99. Sparrow
  100. Spider
  101. Squid
  102. Squirrel
  103. Stork
  104. Swallow
  105. Swan
  106. Tarantula
  107. Termite
  108. Tiger
  109. Toucan
  110. Tuna
  111. Turkey
  112. Turtle
  113. Violet-ear
  114. Vulture
  115. Walrus
  116. Wasp
  117. Whale
  118. Wolf
  119. Woodpecker
  120. Yak
  121. Zebra

 

 
CONDIZIONI DI USO DI QUESTO SITO
L'utente può utilizzare il nostro sito solo se comprende e accetta quanto segue:

  • Le risorse linguistiche gratuite presentate in questo sito si possono utilizzare esclusivamente per uso personale e non commerciale con tassativa esclusione di ogni condivisione comunque effettuata. Tutti i diritti sono riservati. La riproduzione anche parziale è vietata senza autorizzazione scritta.
  • Il nome del sito EnglishGratis è esclusivamente un marchio e un nome di dominio internet che fa riferimento alla disponibilità sul sito di un numero molto elevato di risorse gratuite e non implica dunque alcuna promessa di gratuità relativamente a prodotti e servizi nostri o di terze parti pubblicizzati a mezzo banner e link, o contrassegnati chiaramente come prodotti a pagamento (anche ma non solo con la menzione "Annuncio pubblicitario"), o comunque menzionati nelle pagine del sito ma non disponibili sulle pagine pubbliche, non protette da password, del sito stesso.
  • La pubblicità di terze parti è in questo momento affidata al servizio Google AdSense che sceglie secondo automatismi di carattere algoritmico gli annunci di terze parti che compariranno sul nostro sito e sui quali non abbiamo alcun modo di influire. Non siamo quindi responsabili del contenuto di questi annunci e delle eventuali affermazioni o promesse che in essi vengono fatte!
  • L'utente, inoltre, accetta di tenerci indenni da qualsiasi tipo di responsabilità per l'uso - ed eventuali conseguenze di esso - degli esercizi e delle informazioni linguistiche e grammaticali contenute sul siti. Le risposte grammaticali sono infatti improntate ad un criterio di praticità e pragmaticità più che ad una completezza ed esaustività che finirebbe per frastornare, per l'eccesso di informazione fornita, il nostro utente. La segnalazione di eventuali errori è gradita e darà luogo ad una immediata rettifica.

     

    ENGLISHGRATIS.COM è un sito personale di
    Roberto Casiraghi e Crystal Jones
    email: robertocasiraghi at iol punto it

    Roberto Casiraghi           
    INFORMATIVA SULLA PRIVACY              Crystal Jones


    Siti amici:  Lonweb Daisy Stories English4Life Scuolitalia
    Sito segnalato da INGLESE.IT

 
 



ANIMALS
This article is from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opossum

All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_GNU_Free_Documentation_License 

Opossum (Didelphimorphia)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from Opossum)
Opossum fur is quite soft, and was once commonly used in the bathtub as a sponge.
Enlarge
Opossum fur is quite soft, and was once commonly used in the bathtub as a sponge.

The order Didelphimorphia contains the common opossums of the western hemisphere. Opossums probably diverged from the basic South American marsupials in the late Cretaceous or early Paleocene. A sister group is the Paucituberculata, or shrew opossums. They are commonly also called "possums", though that term is more correctly applied to Australian fauna of the suborder Phalangeriformes.

Didelphimorphs are small to medium-sized marsupials, about the size of a large house cat. They tend to be semi-arboreal omnivores, although there are many exceptions. Most members of this taxon have long snouts, a narrow braincase, and a prominent sagittal crest. The dental formula (one side of one jaw) includes 5 incisors (four on the lower jaw), 1 canine, 3 premolars and 4 tricuspid molars. By mammal standards, this is a very full jaw. The incisors are very small, the canines large.

Didelphimorphs have a plantigrade stance (feet flat on the ground) and the hind feet have an opposable digit with no claw. Like some primates, opossums have prehensile tails. The stomach is simple, with a small cecum. Opossum reproductive systems are extremely basic, with a reduced marsupium. This means that the young are born at a very early stage. The species are moderately sexually dimorphic with males usually being somewhat larger than females.

Didelphimorphs are opportunistic omnivores with a very broad range of diet. Their unspecialized biology, flexible diet and reproductive strategy make them successful colonizers and survivors in unsettled times. Originally native to the eastern United States, opossums were intentionally introduced into the west during the Great Depression, probably as a source of food. Their range has been expanding steadily northwards, thanks in part to more plentiful, man-made sources of fresh water, increased shelter from urban encroachment, and milder winters. Their range has extended into Ontario, Canada, and they have been found farther north than Toronto.

Opossums are usually nomadic, staying in one area as long as food and water are easily available. Though they will temporarily occupy abandoned burrows, they do not dig or put much effort into building their own. They favor dark, secure areas, below ground or above.

When threatened or harmed, they will "play possum", mimicking the appearance and smell of a sick or dead animal. The lips are drawn back, teeth are bared, saliva foams around the mouth, and a foul-smelling fluid is secreted from the anal glands. The physiological response is involuntary, rather than a conscious act. Their stiff, curled form can be prodded, turned over, and even carried away. Many injured opossums have been killed by well-meaning people who find a catatonic animal and assume the worst. If you find an injured or apparently dead opossum, the best thing to do is leave it in a quiet place with a clear exit path. In minutes or hours, the animal will regain consciousness and escape quietly on its own.

Adult opossums do not hang from trees by their tails, though babies may dangle temporarily. Their prehensile tails are not strong enough to support a mature adult's weight, though they often serve as a brace and a fifth limb when climbing. There are also confirmed accounts of the tail being used as a grip to carry bunches of leaves or bedding materials to the nest. A mother will sometimes carry her young upon her back, where they will cling tightly even when she is running across the ground or climbing.

Opossums have a remarkably robust immune system, and show partial or total immunity to the venom of rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, and other pit vipers.[1][2] Thanks to their lower blood temperature, rabies is almost unknown in opossums.[3]

The first description of the opossum in the English language comes from explorer John Smith, who wrote in Map of Virginia, with a Description of the Countrey, the Commodities, People, Government and Religion in 1608 that "An Opassom hath an head like a Swine, and a taile like a Rat, and is of the bignes of a Cat. Under her belly she hath a bagge, wherein she lodgeth, carrieth, and sucketh her young."[4] [5]

Use as food

The opossum was a favorite game animal in the United States, and in particular the southern regions which have a large body of recipes and folklore relating to the opossum. Opossum was once widely consumed in the United States where available as evidenced by recipes in older editions of the The Joy of Cooking. A favorite recipe from the southeast is "'possum and taters" which is parboiled opossum, roasted with sweet potatoes. In Dominica and Trinidad opossum or "manicou" is popular and can only be hunted during certain times of the year due to over-hunting; the meat is traditionally prepared by smoking then stewing. The meat is light and fine grained and the musk glands must be removed as part of preparation. The meat can be used in place of rabbit and chicken in recipes. The cousin of the opossum, the possum, found in Australia and New Zealand is consumed in a similar manner. (Davidson, 1999)

Historically, hunters in the Caribbean would place a barrel with fresh or rotten fruit to attract opossums who would feed on the fruit or insects. Cubans growing up in the mid-twentieth century tell of brushing the maggots out of the mouths of "manicou" caught in this manner to prepare them for consumption. It is said also that the gaminess of the meat causes gas.

Classification

  • Family Didelphidae
    • Subfamily Caluromyinae
      • Genus Caluromys
        • Subgenus Mallodelphys
          • Derby's Woolly Opossum, Caluromys derbianus
          • Brown-eared Woolly Opossum, Caluromys lanatus
        • Subgenus Caluromys
          • Bare-tailed Woolly Opossum, Caluromys philander
      • Genus Caluromysiops
        • Black-shouldered Opossum, Caluromysiops irrupta
      • Genus Glironia
        • Bushy-tailed Opossum, Glironia venusta
    • Subfamily Didelphinae
      • Genus Chacodelphys
        • Chacoan Pygmy Opossum (Chacodelphys formosa)
      • Genus Chironectes
        • Yapok or Water Opossum (Chironectes minimus)
      • Genus Cryptonanus
        • Agricola's Gracile Opossum (Cryptonanus agricolai)
        • Chacoan Gracile Opossum (Cryptonanus chacoensis)
        • Bolivian Gracile Opossum (Cryptonanus guahybae)
        • Red-bellied Gracile Opossum (Cryptonanus ignitus)
        • Rio Grande do Sul Gracile Opossum (Cryptonanus unduaviensis)
      • Genus Didelphis
        Skull of a Virginia Opossum, D. virginiana
        Enlarge
        Skull of a Virginia Opossum, D. virginiana
        • White-eared Opossum (Didelphis albiventris)
        • Big-eared Opossum (Didelphis aurita)
        • Guianan White-eared Opossum (Didelphis imperfecta)
        • Common Opossum (Didelphis marsupialis)
        • Andean White-eared Opossum (Didelphis pernigra)
        • Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana)
      • Genus Gracilinanus
        • Aceramarca Gracile Opossum (Gracilinanus aceramarcae)
        • Agile Gracile Opossum (Gracilinanus agilis)
        • Wood Sprite Gracile Opossum (Gracilinanus dryas)
        • Emilia's Gracile Opossum (Gracilinanus emilae)
        • Northern Gracile Opossum (Gracilinanus marica)
        • Brazilian Gracile Opossum (Gracilinanus microtarsus)
      • Genus Hyladelphys
        • Kalinowski's Mouse Opossum (Hyladelphys kalinowskii)
      • Genus Lestodelphys
        • Patagonian Opossum (Lestodelphys halli)
      • Genus Lutreolina
        • Lutrine or Thick-tailed Opossum (Lutreolina crassicaudata)
      • Genus Marmosa
        • Heavy-browed Mouse Opossum (Marmosa andersoni)
        • Rufous Mouse Opossum (Marmosa lepida)
        • Mexican Mouse Opossum (Marmosa mexicana)
        • Linnaeus's Mouse Opossum (Marmosa murina)
        • Quechuan Mouse Opossum (Marmosa quichua)
        • Robinson's Mouse Opossum (Marmosa robinsoni)
        • Red Mouse Opossum (Marmosa rubra)
        • Tyleria Mouse Opossum (Marmosa tyleriana)
        • Guajira Mouse Opossum (Marmosa xerophila)
      • Genus Marmosops
        • Bishop's Slender Opossum (Marmosops bishopi)
        • Narrow-headed Slender Opossum (Marmosops cracens)
        • Marmosops creightoni
        • Dusky Slender Opossum (Marmosops fuscatus)
        • Handley's Slender Opossum (Marmosops handleyi)
        • Tschudi's Slender Opossum (Marmosops impavidus)
        • Gray Slender Opossum (Marmosops incanus)
        • Panama Slender Opossum (Marmosops invictus)
        • Junin Slender Opossum (Marmosops juninensis)
        • Neblina Slender Opossum (Marmosops neblina)
        • White-bellied Slender Opossum (Marmosops noctivagus)
        • Dorothys' Slender Opossum (Marmosops ocellatus)
        • Delicate Slender Opossum (Marmosops parvidens)
        • Brazilian Slender Opossum (Marmosops paulensis)
        • Pinheiro's Slender Opossum (Marmosops pinheiroi)
      • Genus Metachirus
        • Brown Four-eyed Opossum (Metachirus myosuros)
      • Genus Micoureus
        • Alston's Mouse Opossum (Micoureus alstoni)
        • White-bellied Woolly Mouse Opossum (Micoureus constantiae)
        • Woolly Mouse Opossum (Micoureus demerarae)
        • Tate's Woolly Mouse Opossum (Micoureus paraguayanus)
        • Little Woolly Mouse Opossum (Micoureus phaeus)
        • Bare-tailed Woolly Mouse Opossum (Micoureus regina)
      • Genus Monodelphis
        • Sepia Short-tailed Opossum (Monodelphis adusta)
        • Northern three-striped Opossum (Monodelphis americana)
        • Northern Red-sided Opossum (Monodelphis brevicaudata)
        • Yellow-sided Opossum (Monodelphis dimidiata)
        • Gray Short-tailed Opossum (Monodelphis domestica)
        • Emilia's Short-tailed Opossum (Monodelphis emiliae)
        • Amazonian Red-sided Opossum (Monodelphis glirina)
        • Ihering's Three-striped Opossum (Monodelphis iheringi)
        • Pygmy Short-tailed Opossum (Monodelphis kunsi)
        • Marajó Short-tailed Opossum (Monodelphis maraxina)
        • Osgood's Short-tailed Opossum (Monodelphis osgoodi)
        • Hooded Red-sided Opossum (Monodelphis palliolata)
        • Monodelphis reigi
        • Peruvian Short-tailed Opossum (Monodelphis ronaldi)
        • Chestnut-striped Opossum (Monodelphis rubida)
        • Long-nosed Short-tailed Opossum (Monodelphis scalops)
        • Southern Red-sided Opossum (Monodelphis sorex)
        • Southern Three-striped Opossum (Monodelphis theresa)
        • Red Three-striped Opossum (Monodelphis umbristriata)
        • One-striped Opossum (Monodelphis unistriata)
      • Genus Philander
        • Anderson's Four-eyed Opossum (Philander andersoni)
        • Philander deltae
        • Southeastern Four-eyed Opossum (Philander frenatus)
        • McIlhenny's Four-eyed Opossum (Philander mcilhennyi)
        • Philander mondolfii
        • Gray Four-eyed Opossum (Philander opossum)
      • Genus Thylamys
        • Cinderella Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum (Thylamys cinderella)
        • Elegant Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum (Thylamys elegans)
        • Karimi's Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum (Thylamys karimii)
        • Paraguayan Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum (Thylamys macrurus)
        • White-bellied Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum (Thylamys pallidior)
        • Common Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum (Thylamys pusillus)
        • Argentine Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum (Thylamys sponsorius)
        • Tate's Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum (Thylamys tatei)
        • Dwarf Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum (Thylamys velutinus)
        • Buff-bellied Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum (Thylamys venustus)
      • Genus Tlacuatzin
        • Gray Mouse Opossum (Tlacuatzin canescens)

References

  • Gardner, Alfred (November 16, 2005). Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds) Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 3-18. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.
  • Lew, Daniel, Roger Pérez-Hernández, Jacint Ventura (2006). "Two new species of Philander (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae) from northern South America". Journal of Mammalogy 87 (2): 224–237. DOI:10.1644/05-MAMM-A-065R2.1.
  • Davidson, Alan. Oxford Companion to Food (1999), "Opossum". p. 554, 556. ISBN 0-19-211579-0
  • Lonely Planet World Food Caribbean (2001) p.46 ISBN 1-86450-348-3

External links

  • Opossum control - removal from attic, trapping photos & techniques


 

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Didelphimorphia"