Can Opossums Swim? Everything You Need To Know

Opossums are some of the most interesting marsupials found in North America. With their pointy snouts, beady eyes, and hairless tails, they have a unique appearance that captures people’s curiosity.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: Yes, opossums can swim. They have adaptations like webbed hind feet and water-resistant fur that help them swim.

In this comprehensive article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about opossums and their swimming abilities. We’ll discuss opossum adaptations for swimming, how well they swim, if they like water, and more.

Opossum Adaptations That Help Them Swim

Webbed Hind Feet

Opossums have webbed hind feet that aid their ability to swim and maneuver in the water. The webbing between their toes allows them to propel through water more efficiently, almost like natural flippers.

This adaptation likely developed to help opossums escape from predators by quickly swimming away across rivers, lakes, or streams if needed.

Water-Resistant Fur

An opossum’s fur has special oils that make it water-resistant. This helps repel water from their skin and insulate their body heat while swimming in cold water. Their thick underfur layer also protects them from getting waterlogged.

So even though they aren’t built for living aquatic life, opossums can take to the water when necessary and stay warm and buoyant.

Buoyant Body

Despite their small size, opossums have a surprisingly buoyant body structure. They have a layer of fat under their skin that makes them float well. Coupled with their webbed feet paddling, opossums can keep themselves easily above the water line as they swim.

This buoyancy prevents them from tiring out quickly in the water.

Muscular Tail

An opossum’s tail is very muscular and flexible, which aids as a rudder to steer their direction as they swim. They use their tail similar to how a crocodile swishes its tail side to side to navigate the water.

The tail also acts as a counterbalance to keep their heavier front end with the head lifted above water. This allows opossums to swim efficiently for decent lengths of time to escape predators or cross water barriers.

So while opossums are definitely land mammals primarily, they have some great adaptations that enable them to be quite capable swimmers when they need to be! According to the Opossum Society, opossums can swim at an estimated speed of 3 mph for up to 3 hours if necessary before needing to stop to rest.

How Well Can Opossums Swim?

Capable But Not Graceful Swimmers

Opossums are capable swimmers but they do not particularly excel at it. They employ a rudimentary “dog paddle” style of swimming that enables them to stay afloat and make some headway through the water, but they lack finesse and elegance in their technique.

An opossum’s body is not optimized for swimming. Their dense fur retains water, weighing them down. Their short legs and claws are best suited for climbing trees and grasping branches, not propelling through water.

While opossums living near rivers or lakes may swim if necessary, most prefer to avoid getting in deep water whenever possible.

Use Doggy Paddle Style

When opossums do swim, they instinctively use the “doggy paddle” style seen in dogs, cats, and other quadruped mammals. They kick their back legs in alternation while using their front limbs in a paddling, circular rowing motion to pull themselves forward through the water.

This rudimentary style allows them to adequately swim for short distances, but lacks the power and stamina needed for prolonged water travel. Their kicks do not generate substantial propulsion, and their fur and short limbs create a lot of drag in the water.

Swim Short Distances

Opossums are capable of swimming across streams, ponds, or other small bodies of water if necessary. Though graceless in form, an opossum can doggy paddle steadily enough to traverse short distances of approximately 50-100 yards.

However, they tire easily and start to struggle if forced to swim for too long. In a life-or-death scenario, an opossum may swim up to 1/4 mile in calm conditions before reaching exhaustion putting them at risk of drowning.

Struggle in Rough Waters

While opossums can make do swimming short spans in placid water, turbulence poses great difficulty. Winds, waves, and currents impair their already limited mobility and stamina for swimming by creating more resistance and pulling them off course.

Fast currents can rapidly deplete an opossum’s energy as they fight against the flow of water. If they cannot reach land quickly, the currents may sweep them under or drag them far offshore beyond their capacity to paddle back.

Thus, it is extremely challenging and potentially life-threatening for opossums to swim in rough conditions.

Do Opossums Like Water?

Opossums have an interesting relationship with water. While they do not particularly enjoy getting wet, they will enter water if needed to survive. Here is an overview of how opossums interact with water in the wild.

Generally Avoid Water

Opossums prefer to stay on dry land when possible. Their fur does not have natural waterproofing like other aquatic mammals, so it takes a very long time to dry if it gets soaked. When given the option, opossums will always opt for taking a route over land rather than wading through water or going for a swim.

Enter Water When Necessary

Even though opossums generally avoid the water, they are capable swimmers when needed. In fact, the Virginia opossum is one of the few mammals capable of voluntary breathing while swimming. This means they can choose when to inhale and exhale even while paddling in the water.

An opossum may willingly enter water if they cannot find an alternate land route. For example, if an opossum gets trapped on one side of a river, they can swim across to escape rather than risking predators on land. They have also been known to swim short distances to reach food sources or den sites.

Don’t Voluntarily Swim for Fun

While opossums can swim, they do not do it for entertainment purposes. Species like otters and dolphins may spend hours playing or hunting in the water, but opossums only enter it when absolutely necessary. They do not have the same adaptations for lengthy water exposure.

In addition, swimming takes considerable energy due to the opossum’s dense fur. Extended time in water causes their body temperature to drop rapidly. So they are best suited for quick bursts of swimming rather than lengthy laps across a pond or river.

Based on these behaviors, it is clear opossums have an uneasy yet practical relationship with water in the wild. They will interact with it only as needed for survival rather than seeking it out for habitat or recreation.

Their ability to power through short swims gives them an advantage but does not indicate any particular enjoyment. At their core, opossums prefer to avoid getting wet whenever possible!

When and Why Would an Opossum Swim?

Crossing Water Barriers

Opossums are highly adaptable animals and can be found in a wide variety of habitats, from forests and fields to suburban neighborhoods. Sometimes in their travels, they come across rivers, streams, or other water barriers that they need to cross to reach food, shelter, or potential mates (Opossum Society).

While opossums prefer to stay on dry land, they are capable swimmers if necessary.

Opossums have been documented swimming across waters as wide as 90 meters. Their adaptations for tree climbing, including opposable thumbs on their back feet, help them paddle effectively. Their body fat also makes them quite buoyant.

So while not natural swimmers, opossums can and will take to the water to traverse obstacles in their way.

Escaping Predators

When threatened by predators like dogs, coyotes, or bobcats, opossums may head for the nearest water source as an escape route. By swimming away, they can put a barrier between themselves and danger. Opossums are not especially fast on land, with a top speed of only 7 km/h.

But in water, they can swiftly flee using their webbed hind feet and prehensile tail (CBC).

Interestingly, playing dead, the opossum’s infamous last line of defense on land, does not work well in water as they can involuntarily inhale water and drown. So when faced with predators near water, swimming to safety is often their best bet for survival.

Foraging

Opossums are omnivorous foragers, eating a variety of plants and animals. They have been observed wading into shallow water to hunt for fish, frogs, crayfish, and other aquatic creatures to supplement their diet.

Their adaptations for tree climbing and manipulation serve them well in grasping slippery prey in the water.

In coastal regions, opossums may swim out from shore to snag fish or mollusks at low tide. They can even float on their backs while eating, thanks to their buoyancy and prehensile tail wrapping around food as an extra anchor.

Expanding their buffet options to include aquatic fare helps opossums thrive across an even broader range of habitats.

Fun Facts About Opossums Swimming

Mothers Carry Babies on Their Backs

One intriguing thing about opossums is that mothers will often swim while carrying babies on their backs. The infant opossums will grip tightly to the mother’s fur as she paddles through the water. This allows the young to stay safe while the mother searches for food or escapes predators. In fact, baby opossums can hang on so tightly that even drowned female opossums have been found with live babies still clinging to their backs!

Use Their Tail as a Rudder

An opossum’s tail is very useful when swimming. They use it as a rudder to help steer them through the water. The tail helps provide stability and directional control as they propel themselves with their legs and feet.

This steering ability gives opossums an advantage over many other land animals when forced to swim.

Interestingly, an opossum’s tail is also useful on land. The tail helps the opossum balance as it runs along branches high up in trees. It also aids in grasping food. So an opossum’s tail serves multiple functions both in and out of the water.

Can Survive Immersion in Water

Perhaps the most notable fact about opossums swimming is their ability to survive after being immersed in water. Thanks to special adaptations, opossums can withstand oxygen deprivation better than other mammals. They enter a deep, coma-like state when oxygen levels get too low.

Their bodies are resilient and able to endure extremes.

Consequently, it’s possible for an opossum to stay alive even after hours of being trapped under water. There are incredible stories of opossums reviving after being pulled from underwater ordeals. So while opossums don’t particularly enjoy swimming, they have a unique biological capacity to handle it when necessary.

In the end, opossums are more adept swimmers than their reputation suggests. They play an ecological role both on land and in freshwater habitats. To learn more, check out this Mass Audubon article or this National Wildlife Federation resource on amazing opossums!

Conclusion

While opossums are not the most graceful swimmers, their adaptations like webbed feet, water-resistant fur, and muscular tails allow them to doggy paddle across streams and float effectively. They will take to the water when necessary to cross barriers, escape predators, or search for food.

Opossums have some remarkable abilities when it comes to aquatic survival. With extra facts like baby transport and the use of their tail as a rudder, opossums prove to be more capable swimmers than many give them credit for.