--- title: Raccoons, opossums and skunks — a lesson of Mova's school · trees and pragmatics description: «Raccoons, opossums and skunks», a lesson of the biology course of Mova's primary school, sentence by sentence with dependency trees and pragmatics. It begins: In a city like Toronto, a family may wake up to find the green bin open and rubbish all over the drive: a raccoon has lifted the lid with it --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/224-raccoons-opossums-and-skunks/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/) / [Biology](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/) / Raccoons, opossums and skunks # Raccoons, opossums and skunks Lesson 224 of the biology course of Mova's primary school: 17 sentences, each with its syntax tree and pragmatics. The lessons are written for Mova, and their agreed trees are part of Mova corpus 0.4 (CC BY-SA 4.0). How Mova does on its tests: [the lesson at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/biology/224-raccoons-opossums-and-skunks/). - [0](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/224-raccoons-opossums-and-skunks/0/) — In a city like Toronto, a family may wake up to find the green bin open and rubbish all over the drive: a raccoon has lifted the lid with its clever little hands, which have five fingers and are so sensitive that it can feel food it cannot see. - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/224-raccoons-opossums-and-skunks/1/) — A raccoon seems to wash its food in a stream, but really it is feeling it, because water makes its paws even more sensitive; its black mask may help it see at night by cutting glare. - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/224-raccoons-opossums-and-skunks/2/) — The opossum is a marsupial, like a kangaroo: its babies grow in a pouch and then ride on their mother's back, and when it is badly frightened it falls down, goes stiff and gives off a nasty smell, which is called playing possum. - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/224-raccoons-opossums-and-skunks/3/) — The skunk does not attack without warning: it stamps, raises its tail and only then sprays a liquid so smelly that a dog will remember it for life. - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/224-raccoons-opossums-and-skunks/4/) — And the Australian possum living in a roof is a different animal from the American opossum, though both carry their babies in pouches. - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/224-raccoons-opossums-and-skunks/5/) — A raccoon's front paws have five fingers and are very sensitive, so it can open bin lids, jars and even door latches. - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/224-raccoons-opossums-and-skunks/6/) — A raccoon dipping food in water is feeling it, not washing it; water makes its paws even more sensitive. - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/224-raccoons-opossums-and-skunks/7/) — The black mask round a raccoon's eyes may reduce glare and help it see at night, though scientists are not completely sure. - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/224-raccoons-opossums-and-skunks/8/) — Raccoons are common in North American cities like Toronto, where they raid bins and nest in attics and chimneys. - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/224-raccoons-opossums-and-skunks/9/) — Raccoons were brought to Europe and some escaped; now they live wild in Germany and are spreading to nearby countries. - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/224-raccoons-opossums-and-skunks/10/) — When badly frightened, an opossum may play dead: it falls over, stays still and gives off a bad smell; this is called playing possum. - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/224-raccoons-opossums-and-skunks/11/) — Opossums are marsupials: the tiny babies grow in their mother's pouch and later ride on her back. - [12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/224-raccoons-opossums-and-skunks/12/) — The Virginia opossum has fifty teeth, more than any other North American land mammal, and eats almost anything. - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/224-raccoons-opossums-and-skunks/13/) — Adult opossums cannot really hang by their tails for long like in cartoons; young ones can briefly, and the tail helps them grip branches and carry leaves. - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/224-raccoons-opossums-and-skunks/14/) — Australian possums, such as the brushtail possum that often lives in roofs, are different from American opossums; both are marsupials but from different families. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/224-raccoons-opossums-and-skunks/15/) — Before spraying, a skunk warns by stamping its feet and raising its tail; then it sprays a very smelly liquid from glands under its tail. - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/224-raccoons-opossums-and-skunks/16/) — A raccoon, an opossum and a skunk each have four legs, one tail and a coat of fur. - ← previous: [Gulls: chip thieves, rain dances and salty water](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/223-gulls-chip-thieves-rain-dances-and-salty-water/) - next →: [Caring for a pet: needs, dangers and responsibility](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/225-caring-for-a-pet-needs-dangers-and-responsibility/) - ↑ back to [Biology](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/)