Short-Tailed Opossum Ears
It's Not Wax, It's The Tragus
By Molly Kalafut
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STO Tragus |
People Tragus |
I hear this question a lot - "What's wrong with my short-tailed opossum's ears? It looks like they're plugged up with wax buildup or a growth!"
Short-tailed opossum owners are often worried by the white inside their STO's ears, thinking it is an excess of wax at best or a tumor at worst. Don't worry, it's normal! The white structure is called the "tragus" which is the flap of skin at the base of the ear. It helps the STO detect ultrasonic frequencies that are too high for humans to hear.
People have a tragus as well that is a flap of skin above the ear lobe and in front of the ear canal. The human ear is generally sensitive to frequencies of 1,000-4,000 hertz. Higher frequencies are called ultrasonic, but can still be heard by other animals like bats and short-tailed opossums.
So don't worry about the white in your STO's ears! It's a neat little structure that helps your short-tailed opossum hear better.
