Re: PEDANTRY ALERT was Re: R&R- "American Influence Down Under"

[G.Lambert@unsw.edu.au (Geoff Lambert)]

On Sun, 13 Feb 2000 11:23:41 +1100, John Duncan McCallum
<mccallum@melbpc.org.au> wrote:
>Neil Gerace wrote:
> If they're opossums, then they're not from Australia. We have the
>marsupial
> kind; they're called possums.
>Actually, they are the same species. They were introduced in NZ in the
>19th century for some 
>obscure reason. In Australia, we deleted the 'o' for some reason.
>Officially, they are
>opossoms everywhere. When I was at school (in Subiaco WA), they were
>called opossoms.
>
>John McCallum

The opossum is North America;'s only marsupial.  There is only one
species I think, the Virginia opossum (Didelphis marsupialis) It is a
different species and a different genus from any Australian possum
which, in most if not all literature, are referred to as possums, not
opossums.  The New Zealnd pest is the Australian variety, a
brushtailed possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)

Possums do not drive trains or visit this website

GL