SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS 55 White, D. S., W. U. Brigham <Sc J. T. Doyen. 1984. Hunt, Dubuque, Iowa. Aquatic Coleoptera. Pp. 361-437 in Merritt, R. W. <Sc K. W. Cummins, eds. An Introduction to the .Aquatic Young, F. N. 1954. The water beetles of Florida Insects of North America. Second Edition. Kendall- University of Florida Biological Series 5(1): 1-238. Shorter Contributions Banisteria, Number 7, 1996 and Layne (1951) noted that the o{>ossum used its © 1996 by the Virginia Natural History' Society hindlegs to help pass the material and settle it in the tail loop. I did not see this. The opossum I observed appeared to be an adult, but leaf carrying with the tail is not LEAF-CARRYING WITH THE TAIL IN THE VIRGINIA restricted to adults. Smith (1941) observed a "slightly more OPOSSUM, D1DELPHIS VIRGINIANA. - The Virginia than half grown" individual, Layne (1951) a "young male opossum, Didelphis vugimami, is well known for its long, opossum," and Hopkins (1977) reported on young scantily haired, prehensile tail used for grasping in "estimated to be 88 to 97 days old" that "weighed about climbing activities and, for example, the grasping of the 121 fr¬ tail of the mother by young. Although leaf carrying with it had rained more than 1.5 cm in the 24 hr preceding the tail had been reported in captive animals (Pray, 1921; my observation and, although partly sunny at 0700 h, the Layne, 1951; Hopkins, 1977) and in a wild setting leaves on the ground were wet. It is likely that the (Smith, 1941), I was unaware of such use until I made the opossum was collecting leaves to construct a nest or add observation described herein. The phenomenon seems to to a pre-existing one. Opossums construct nests in a be little known among biologists. variety of situations including arboreal sites. Since they At 0700 h on 4 July 1992, while looking out the are known to build nests of coarse leaf material, it is window into my wooded back yard in suburban possible that carrying leaves and similar items is a Chesterfield County, Virginia, I saw what appeared to be common use of the prehensile tail but one that we rarely a severely injured Virginia opossum. It was unusual to see get to observe because they normally are nocturnal. an opossum active in daylight and I assumed its behavior McManus (1974) summarized that leaf carrying with the to be the result of an injury. Only 10 to 12 m away and tail "...frees the limbs for locomotion," but it likely has moving among a few low shrubs and past tree trunks, the other functions as well. Nesting material is carried in the opossum appeared to have a rough-shaped mass under its mouth by most mammals and leaf carrying by the tail by tail that looked like protruding viscera. The opossum the Virginia opossum also frees the mouth for walked irregularly, frequently stopping, and with its back opportunistic feeding. Layne (1951) and Hopkins (1977) hunched would reach back with its head under the belly observed that captives sometimes paused to feed or drink between its legs and appeared to be grabbing at the mass while clutching the nesting materials in their tails. under its tail. I then realized that the mass grew larger each time the Literature Cited opossum reached back. It was placing leaves under its belly with its mouth and then grasping them with its tail. Hopkins, D. 1977. Nest-building behavior in the The opossum ambled out of sight relatively rapidly when immature Virginia opossum, Didelphis virginiana. the bulk of material (in lateral view) was equal to what I Mammalia 41:361-362. estimated to be about one third the size of its body; much larger than the mass depicted in the accurate sketch by Layne, J. N. 1951. The use of the tail by an opossum. Pray (1921). From close-range observations, Smith (1941) Journal of Mammalogy 32:464-465. 56 BANISTERIA NO. 7, 1996 McManus, J. J. 1974. Didelphis virgmiana. Mammal Point Creek and the Western Branch of the Elizabeth River, Species 40:1-6. City of Chesapeake, Virginia. The snake was a juvenile female (375 mm snout-vent length, 67 mm tail lengdi) and had been Pray, L. 1921. Opossum carries leaves with its tail. Journal killed by vehicular traffic. Background body color bodi of Mammalogy 2:109-110. dorsally and ventrally, as well as the head, neck, and rail were pinkish white. Body blotches were visible but were very light Smith, L. 1941. An observation on the nest-building tan in color. The eyes were pink in life. This albinistic behavior of the opossum. Journal of Mammalogy 22:201- specimen is the first to be reported from southeastern 202. Virginia and die fourdi known from the Commonwealth. Literature Cited John F. Pagels Department of Biology Carroll, R- P. 1950. Amphibia and repriles. Pp. 195-211 In Virginia Commonwealth University James River Project Committee (compilers), The James River Richmond, Virginia 23284 Basin, Past, Present, and Future. Virginia Academy of Science, Richmond, VA. Hensley, M. 1959. Albinism in North .American amphibians Banisteria, Number 7, 1996 and reptiles. Publication of the Museum of Michigan State © 1996 by the Virginia Natural History Society University, Biological Series 1:133-159. Mitchell, J. C. 1994a. An unusually colored northern water ANOTHER CASE OF ALBINISM IN A BLACK RAT snake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon) from Giles County, Virginia. SNAKE (ELAPHE OBSOLETA OBSOLETA) FROM Banisteria 4:32-33. VIRGINIA — Albinism has been reported occasionally for several species of snakes from Virginia locations. These Mitchell, J. C. 1994b. The Reptiles of Virginia. Smithsonian include the eastern worm snake (Carphophis amoenus amoenus) Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 352 pp. from the Gty of Arlington, eastern milk snake (Lampropelds triangulum triangulum) from Montgomery County, northern watersnake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon) from New Kent County, Joseph C. Mitchell and three black rat snakes (Elaphe obsolete obsolete) from three Department of Biology and School of Continuing Studies widely separated locadons (Mitchell, 1994b). Mitchell (1994a) University of Richmond described a xanthic N. sipedon from Giles County. Albinistic Richmond, Virginia 23173 or partially albinistic black rat snakes have been reported from Rockingham County (Carroll, 1950), Westmoreland County and (Hensley, 1959), and Washington County (D. Qgle, personal communication). The latter snake was a juvenile that retained Gary M. Williamson the blotched pattern but had no black pigment. Department of Conservation and Recreation On 14 August 1992, the second author discovered an Kiptopeke State Park albino E. o. obsoleta (VMNH 7103) in a highly urbanized area 3540 Kiptopeke Drive on Meadow Forest Road, north of die confluence of Drum Cape Charles, Virginia 23310