Opossums () are members of the

marsupial Marsupials are any members of the mammalian infraclass Marsupialia. All extant marsupials are endemic to Australasia, Wallacea and the Americas. A distinctive characteristic common to most of these species is that the young are carried in a ...

order Didelphimorphia ()

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

. The largest order of marsupials in the

Western Hemisphere The Western Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that lies west of the prime meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and east of the antimeridian. The other half is called the Eastern Hemisphere. Politically, the te ...

, it comprises 93 species in 18 genera. Opossums originated in

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...

and entered North America in the Great American Interchange following the connection of North and South America. The

Virginia opossum The Virginia opossum (''Didelphis virginiana''), also known as the North American opossum, is the only opossum living north of Mexico, its range extending south into Central America. It is the northernmost marsupial in the world. In the United S ...

is the only species found in the United States and Canada. It is often simply referred to as an opossum, and in North America it is commonly referred to as a possum (; sometimes rendered as ''possum'' in written form to indicate the dropped "o"). Possums should not be confused with the Australasian arboreal marsupials of suborder

Phalangeriformes Phalangeriformes is a paraphyletic suborder of about 70 species of small to medium-sized arboreal marsupials native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi. The species are commonly known as possums, gliders, and cuscus. The common name "possum ...

that are also called possums because of their resemblance to the Didelphimorphia. The opossum is typically a nonaggressive animal.

Etymology

The word ''opossum'' is borrowed from the Powhatan language and was first recorded between 1607 and 1611 by John Smith (as ''opassom'') and

William Strachey William Strachey (4 April 1572 – buried 21 June 1621) was an English writer whose works are among the primary sources for the early history of the English colonisation of North America. He is best remembered today as the eye-witness reporter o ...

(as ''aposoum''). Siebert reconstructs the word phonemically as /a·passem/. ''Possum'' was first recorded in 1613. Both men encountered the language at the British settlement of Jamestown, Virginia, which Smith helped to found and where Strachey later served as its first secretary. Strachey's notes describe the opossum as a "beast in bigness of a pig and in taste alike," while Smith recorded it "hath an head like a swine ... tail like a rat ... of the bigness of a cat." The Powhatan word ultimately derives from a

Proto-Algonquian Proto-Algonquian (commonly abbreviated PA) is the proto-language from which the various Algonquian languages are descended. It is generally estimated to have been spoken around 2,500 to 3,000 years ago, but there is less agreement on where it was ...

word (''*wa·p-aʔθemwa'') meaning "white dog or dog-like beast." Following the arrival of Europeans in Australia, the term ''possum'' was borrowed to describe distantly related Australian marsupials of the suborder

, which are more closely related to other Australian marsupials such as kangaroos. They similarly have didelphimorphia, two (''di'') wombs (''delphus''), the second being a non-bilateral marsupial womb (nursing-pouch).

Evolution

Opossums are frequently considered to be "

living fossil A living fossil is an extant taxon that cosmetically resembles related species known only from the fossil record. To be considered a living fossil, the fossil species must be old relative to the time of origin of the extant clade. Living foss ...

s", and as a result are often used to approximate the ancestral

theria Theria (; Greek: , wild beast) is a subclass of mammals amongst the Theriiformes. Theria includes the eutherians (including the placental mammals) and the metatherians (including the marsupials) but excludes the egg-laying monotremes. ...

n condition in comparative studies. However, this is inaccurate, as the oldest opossum fossils are from the early

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

(roughly 20 million years old). The last common ancestor of all living opossums approximately dates to the Oligocene-Miocene boundary (23 million years ago) and is at most no older than Oligocene in age. Many extinct metatherians once considered early opossums, such as ''

Alphadon ''Alphadon'' (meaning "first tooth") is an extinct genus of small, primitive mammal that was a member of the metatherians, a group of mammals that includes modern-day marsupials. Its fossils were first discovered and named by George Gaylord Simp ...

'', ''

Peradectes ''Peradectes'' is an extinct genus of small metatherian mammals known from the CretaceousKorth, W. W. (2008). Marsupialia. In C. M. Janis, G. F. Gunnell, & M. D. Uhen (Eds.)Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America: Volume 2, Small Mammals, ...

'', ''

Herpetotherium ''Herpetotherium'' is an extinct genus of metatherian mammal, belonging to the possibly paraphyletic family Herpetotheriidae. Native to North America from the Eocene to Early Miocene, fossils have been found in California, Oregon, Texas, Florida ...

'', and ''

Pucadelphys ''Pucadelphys'' is an extinct genus of non-marsupial metatherian. The genus contains a single species, ''P. andinus''. Fossils of ''Pucadelphys'' have been found in the Santa Lucía Formation in Tiupampa in Bolivia.< ...

'', have since been recognized to have been previously grouped with opossums on the basis of

plesiomorphies In phylogenetics, a plesiomorphy ("near form") and symplesiomorphy are synonyms for an ancestral character shared by all members of a clade, which does not distinguish the clade from other clades. Plesiomorphy, symplesiomorphy, apomorphy, and ...

and are now considered to represent older branches of

Metatheria Metatheria is a mammalian clade that includes all mammals more closely related to marsupials than to placentals. First proposed by Thomas Henry Huxley in 1880, it is a more inclusive group than the marsupials; it contains all marsupials as wel ...

only distantly related to modern opossums. Opossums probably originated in the Amazonia region of northern South America, where they began their initial diversification. They were minor components of South American mammal faunas until the late Miocene, when they began to diversify rapidly. Prior to this time the ecological niches presently occupied by opossums were occupied by other groups of metatherians such as

paucituberculata Paucituberculata is an order of South American marsupials. Although currently represented only by the seven living species of shrew opossums, this order was formerly much more diverse, with more than 60 extinct species named from the fossil rec ...

ns and

sparassodonts Sparassodonta (from Greek to tear, rend; and , gen. , ' tooth) is an extinct order of carnivorous metatherian mammals native to South America, related to modern marsupials. They were once considered to be true marsupials, but are now though ...

Large opossums like ''

Didelphis ''Didelphis'' is a genus of New World marsupials. The six species in the genus ''Didelphis'', commonly known as Large American opossums, are members of the ''opossum'' order, Didelphimorphia. The genus ''Didelphis'' is composed of cat-sized om ...

'' show a pattern of gradually increasing in size over geologic time as

sparassodont Sparassodonta (from Greek to tear, rend; and , gen. , ' tooth) is an extinct order of carnivorous metatherian mammals native to South America, related to modern marsupials. They were once considered to be true marsupials, but are now though ...

diversity declined. Several groups of opossums, including ''Thylophorops'', ''Thylatheridium'', ''Hyperdidelphys'', and sparassocynids developed carnivorous adaptations during the late Miocene-

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58carnivorans Carnivora is a monophyletic order of placental mammals consisting of the most recent common ancestor of all cat-like and dog-like animals, and all descendants of that ancestor. Members of this group are formally referred to as carnivorans, ...

in South America. Most of these groups with the exception of '' Lutreolina'' are now extinct.

Characteristics

Monodelphis domestica skeleton - ZooKeys 465-10

Didelphimorphs are small to medium-sized marsupials that grow to the size of a house cat. They tend to be semi-

arboreal Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally, but others are exclusively arboreal. The habitats pose nu ...

omnivores, although there are many exceptions. Most members of this order have long snouts, a narrow braincase, and a prominent sagittal crest. The

dental formula Dentition pertains to the development of teeth and their arrangement in the mouth. In particular, it is the characteristic arrangement, kind, and number of teeth in a given species at a given age. That is, the number, type, and morpho-physiolog ...

is: teeth. By mammalian standards, this is an unusually full jaw. The incisors are very small, the canines large, and the molars are

tricuspid The tricuspid valve, or right atrioventricular valve, is on the right dorsal side of the mammalian heart, at the superior portion of the right ventricle. The function of the valve is to allow blood to flow from the right atrium to the right ven ...

. Didelphimorphs have a plantigrade stance (feet flat on the ground) and the hind

feet The foot ( : feet) is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg made ...

have an opposable digit with no

claw A claw is a curved, pointed appendage found at the end of a toe or finger in most amniotes (mammals, reptiles, birds). Some invertebrates such as beetles and spiders have somewhat similar fine, hooked structures at the end of the leg or tarsus ...

. Like some

New World monkey New World monkeys are the five families of primates that are found in the tropical regions of Mexico, Central and South America: Callitrichidae, Cebidae, Aotidae, Pitheciidae, and Atelidae. The five families are ranked together as the Ceboidea ...

s, opossums have prehensile tails. Like that of all marsupials, the

fur Fur is a thick growth of hair that covers the skin of mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an insulating blanket t ...

consists of awn hair only, and the females have a pouch. The tail and parts of the feet bear

scute A scute or scutum (Latin: ''scutum''; plural: ''scuta'' "shield") is a bony external plate or scale overlaid with horn, as on the shell of a turtle, the skin of crocodilians, and the feet of birds. The term is also used to describe the anterior po ...

s. The

stomach The stomach is a muscular, hollow organ in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and many other animals, including several invertebrates. The stomach has a dilated structure and functions as a vital organ in the digestive system. The stomach i ...

is simple, with a small

cecum The cecum or caecum is a pouch within the peritoneum that is considered to be the beginning of the large intestine. It is typically located on the right side of the body (the same side of the body as the appendix, to which it is joined). The wo ...

. Like most marsupials, the male opossum has a forked penis bearing twin

glande Glande (baptized as ''Richard'') was the leader of Sambians, one of the Prussian clans, during the Great Prussian Uprising (1260–1274) against the papal crusades undertaken by the Teutonic Knights The Order of Brothers of the German House ...

s.Krause, William J.; Krause, Winifred A. (2006
''The Opossum: Its Amazing Story''
. Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. p. 39 Although all living opossums are essentially opportunistic

omnivores An omnivore () is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize the nut ...

, different species vary in the amount of meat and vegetation they include in their diet. Members of the

Caluromyinae Caluromyinae is a subfamily of opossums. It includes the extant genera '' Caluromys'' and '' Caluromysiops'', as well as the extinct '' Pachybiotherium''. Until recently, the genus ''Glironia'' was also included. It has sometimes been classed as ...

are essentially

frugivorous A frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts and seeds. Approximately 20% of mammalian herbivores eat fruit. Frugivores are highly dependent on the abundance an ...

; whereas the lutrine opossum and Patagonian opossum primarily feed on other animals. The

water opossum The water opossum (''Chironectes minimus''), also locally known as the yapok (), is a marsupial of the family Didelphidae.* It is the only living member of its genus, ''Chironectes''. This semiaquatic creature is found in and near freshwater ...

or yapok (''Chironectes minimus'') is particularly unusual, as it is the only living semi-aquatic marsupial, using its webbed hindlimbs to dive in search of freshwater mollusks and crayfish. The extinct '' Thylophorops'', the largest known opossum at 4–7 kg, was a macropredator. Most opossums are scansorial, well-adapted to life in the trees or on the ground, but members of the

and Glironiinae are primarily arboreal, whereas species of '' Metachirus'', ''

Monodelphis ''Monodelphis'' is a genus of marsupials in the family Didelphidae, commonly referred to as short-tailed opossums. They are found throughout South America. , the most recently described species is ''M. vossi''. Species * Sepia short-tailed ...

'', and to a lesser degree ''

'' show adaptations for life on the ground. '' Metachirus nudicaudatus'', found in the upper Amazon basin, consumes fruit seeds, small

vertebrate Vertebrates () comprise all animal taxa within the subphylum Vertebrata () (chordates with backbones), including all mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Vertebrates represent the overwhelming majority of the phylum Chordata, with c ...

creatures like birds and reptiles and

invertebrate Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordate ...

s like crayfish and

snail A snail is, in loose terms, a shelled gastropod. The name is most often applied to land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs. However, the common name ''snail'' is also used for most of the members of the molluscan class G ...

s, but seems to be mainly insectivorous. Opossum (Mar 2021)

Reproduction and life cycle

As a marsupial, the female opossum has a reproductive system that includes a bifurcated

vagina In mammals, the vagina is the elastic, muscular part of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vestibule to the cervix. The outer vaginal opening is normally partly covered by a thin layer of mucosal tissue called the hymen ...

, a divided

uterus The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', plural ''uteri'') or womb () is the organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans that accommodates the embryonic and fetal development of one or more embryos until birth. The ...

and a marsupium, which is her pouch. The average estrous cycle of the opossum is about 28 days.Reproduction – Life Cycle
opossumsocietyus.org. Opossums do possess a

placenta The placenta is a temporary embryonic and later fetal organ that begins developing from the blastocyst shortly after implantation. It plays critical roles in facilitating nutrient, gas and waste exchange between the physically separate mate ...

, but it is short-lived, simple in structure, and, unlike that of placental mammals, not fully functional. The young are therefore born at a very early stage, although the gestation period is similar to that of many other small marsupials, at only 12 to 14 days. They give birth to litters of up to 20 young. Once born, the offspring must find their way into the marsupium to hold on to and nurse from a teat. Baby opossums, like their Australian cousins, are called joeys. Female opossums often give birth to very large numbers of young, most of which fail to attach to a

teat A teat is the projection from the mammary glands of mammals from which milk flows or is ejected for the purpose of feeding young. In many mammals the teat projects from the udder. The number of teats varies by mammalian species and often corr ...

, although as many as thirteen young can attach, and therefore survive, depending on species. The young are

weaned Weaning is the process of gradually introducing an infant human or another mammal to what will be its adult diet while withdrawing the supply of its mother's milk. The process takes place only in mammals, as only mammals produce milk. The infan ...

between 70 and 125 days, when they detach from the teat and leave the pouch. The opossum lifespan is unusually short for a mammal of its size, usually only one to two years in the wild and as long as four or more years in captivity. Senescence is rapid. The

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

are moderately

sexually dimorphic Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most ani ...

with males usually being slightly larger, much heavier, and having larger

canines Canine may refer to: Zoology and anatomy * a dog-like Canid animal in the subfamily Caninae ** ''Canis'', a genus including dogs, wolves, coyotes, and jackals ** Dog, the domestic dog * Canine tooth, in mammalian oral anatomy People with the surn ...

than females.Virginia Opossum. ''Didelphis virginiana''
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. The largest difference between the opossum and non-marsupial mammals is the bifurcated penis of the male and bifurcated vagina of the female (the source of the term ''didelphimorph'', from the Greek ''didelphys'', meaning "double-wombed"). Opossum spermatozoa exhibit sperm-pairing, forming conjugate pairs in the epididymis. This may ensure that flagella movement can be accurately coordinated for maximal

motility Motility is the ability of an organism to move independently, using metabolic energy. Definitions Motility, the ability of an organism to move independently, using metabolic energy, can be contrasted with sessility, the state of organisms th ...

. Conjugate pairs dissociate into separate spermatozoa before fertilization.

Behavior

Opossums are usually solitary and nomadic, staying in one area as long as food and water are easily available. Some families will group together in ready-made burrows or even under houses. Though they will temporarily occupy abandoned burrows, they do not dig or put much effort into building their own. As nocturnal animals, they favor dark, secure areas. These areas may be below ground or above.

When threatened or harmed, they will " play possum", mimicking the appearance and smell of a sick or dead animal. This physiological response is involuntary (like fainting), rather than a conscious act. In the case of baby opossums, however, the brain does not always react this way at the appropriate moment, and therefore they often fail to "play dead" when threatened. When an opossum is "playing possum", the animal's lips are drawn back, the teeth are bared, saliva foams around the mouth, the eyes close or half-close, and a foul-smelling fluid is secreted from the anal glands. The stiff, curled form can be prodded, turned over, and even carried away without reaction. The animal will typically regain consciousness after a period of a few minutes to four hours, a process that begins with a slight twitching of the ears. Some species of opossums have

prehensile tail A prehensile tail is the tail of an animal that has adapted to grasp or hold objects. Fully prehensile tails can be used to hold and manipulate objects, and in particular to aid arboreal creatures in finding and eating food in the trees. If the t ...

s, although dangling by the tail is more common among juveniles. An opossum may also use its tail as a brace and a fifth limb when climbing. The tail is occasionally used as a grip to carry bunches of leaves or bedding materials to the nest. A mother will sometimes carry her young upon her back, where they will cling tightly even when she is climbing or running. Threatened opossums (especially males) will growl deeply, raising their pitch as the threat becomes more urgent. Males make a clicking "smack" noise out of the side of their mouths as they wander in search of a mate, and females will sometimes repeat the sound in return. When separated or distressed, baby opossums will make a sneezing noise to signal their mother. The mother in return makes a clicking sound and waits for the baby to find her. If threatened, the baby will open its mouth and quietly hiss until the threat is gone.

Diet

Opossums eat dead animals, insects, rodents and birds. They also feed on eggs, frogs, plants, fruits and grain. One source notes their need for high amounts of calcium. To fulfill this need, opossums eat the skeletal remains of rodents and roadkill animals. They will also eat dog food, cat food and human food waste. Many large opossums (Didelphini) are immune to the venom of rattlesnakes and pit vipers (

Crotalinae The Crotalinae, commonly known as pit vipers,Mehrtens JM (1987). ''Living Snakes of the World in Color''. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. . crotaline snakes (from grc, κρόταλον ''krotalon'' castanet), or pit adders, are a subfa ...

) and regularly prey upon these snakes. This adaptation seems to be unique to the Didelphini, as their closest relative, the brown four-eyed opossum, is not immune to snake venom. Similar adaptations are seen in other small predatory mammals such as

mongooses A mongoose is a small terrestrial carnivorous mammal belonging to the family Herpestidae. This family is currently split into two subfamilies, the Herpestinae and the Mungotinae. The Herpestinae comprises 23 living species that are native to ...

and

hedgehogs A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family (biology), family Erinaceidae. There are seventeen species of hedgehog in five genus, genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in Ne ...

. Didelphin opossums and crotaline vipers have been suggested to be in an

evolutionary arms race In evolutionary biology, an evolutionary arms race is an ongoing struggle between competing sets of co-evolving genes, phenotypic and behavioral traits that develop escalating adaptations and counter-adaptations against each other, resembling an ...

. Some authors have suggested that this adaptation originally arose as a defense mechanism, allowing a rare reversal of an evolutionary arms race where the former prey has become the predator, whereas others have suggested it arose as a predatory adaptation given that it also occurs in other predatory mammals and does not occur in opossums that do not regularly eat other vertebrates. The fer-de-lance, one of the most venomous snakes in the

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. ...

, may have developed its highly potent venom as a means to prey on or a defense mechanism against large opossums. A widely publicized 2009 study by the Cary Institute indicated that Virginia opossums in a laboratory setting could eat thousands of ticks per week grooming. However, subsequent studies of the stomach contents of wild Virginia opossums have not found any ticks in their diet.

Habitat

Opossums are found in North, Central, and

. The Virginia opossum lives in regions as far north as

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

and as far south as Central America, while other types of opossums only inhabit countries south of the United States. The Virginia opossum can often be found in wooded areas, though its habitat may vary widely. Opossums are generally found in areas like forests, shrubland, mangrove swamps, rainforests and eucalyptus forests. Opossums have been found moving northward in recent years.

Hunting and foodways

The

was once widely hunted and consumed in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. Opossum farms have been operated in the United States in the past. Sweet potatoes were eaten together with the opossum in the American South. In 1909, a "Possum and 'Taters" banquet was held in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

to honor President-elect

William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...

. South Carolina cuisine includes opossum, and President

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1 ...

hunted opossums in addition to other small game.

Raccoon The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of ...

, opossum,

partridge A partridge is a medium-sized galliform bird in any of several genera, with a wide native distribution throughout parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. Several species have been introduced to the Americas. They are sometimes grouped in the Perd ...

s, prairie hen and

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-frog" ''Triadobatrachus'' is ...

s were among the fare Mark Twain recorded as part of American cookery. In Dominica, Grenada,

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

, Saint Lucia and

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent and the Grenadines () is an island country in the Caribbean. It is located in the southeast Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, which lie in the West Indies at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea w ...

, the

common opossum The common opossum (''Didelphis marsupialis''), also called the southern or black-eared opossum or gambá, and sometimes called a possum, is a marsupial species living from the northeast of Mexico to Bolivia (reaching the coast of the South Pac ...

or ''manicou'' is popular and can only be hunted during certain times of the year owing to overhunting. The meat is traditionally prepared by smoking, then stewing. It is light and fine-grained, but the musk glands must be removed as part of preparation. The meat can be used in place of rabbit and chicken in recipes. Historically, hunters in the Caribbean would place a barrel with fresh or rotten fruit to attract opossums that would feed on the fruit or insects. In northern/central Mexico, opossums are known as ''tlacuache'' or ''tlacuatzin''. Their tails are eaten as a

folk remedy Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

to improve fertility. In the Yucatán peninsula they are known in the

Yucatec Mayan language Yucatec Maya (; referred to by its speakers simply as Maya or as , is one of the 32 Mayan languages of the Mayan language family. Yucatec Maya is spoken in the Yucatán Peninsula and northern Belize. There is also a significant diasporic commu ...

as "och" and they are not considered part of the regular diet by Mayan people, but still considered edible in times of famine. Opossum oil (possum grease) is high in

essential fatty acid Essential fatty acids, or EFAs, are fatty acids that humans and other animals must ingest because the body requires them for good health but cannot synthesize them. Only two fatty acids are known to be essential for humans: alpha-linolenic ac ...

s and has been used as a chest rub and a carrier for arthritis remedies given as topical salves. Opossum pelts have long been part of the fur trade.

Classification

Classification based on Voss and Jansa (2009), species based on the American Society of Mammalogists (2021) * Family Didelphidae ** Subfamily Glironiinae *** Genus ''

Glironia The bushy-tailed opossum (''Glironia venusta'') is an opossum from South America. It was first described by English zoologist Oldfield Thomas in 1912. It is a medium-sized opossum characterized by a large, oval, dark ears, fawn to cinnamon coat ...

'' **** Bushy-tailed opossum (''Glironia venusta'') ** Subfamily

*** Genus '' Caluromys'' Cuíca-lanosa

Central American woolly opossum (Caluromys derbianus) male

**** Subgenus ''Caluromys'' ***** Bare-tailed woolly opossum (''Caluromys philander'') **** Subgenus ''Mallodelphys'' *****

Derby's woolly opossum Derby's woolly opossum (''Caluromys derbianus''), or the Central American woolly opossum, is an opossum found in deciduous and moist evergreen forests of Central America, from southern Mexico to western Ecuador and Colombia. It was first describ ...

(''Caluromys derbianus'') *****

Brown-eared woolly opossum The brown-eared woolly opossum (''Caluromys lanatus''), also known as the western woolly opossum, is an opossum from South America. It was first described by German naturalist Ignaz von Olfers in 1818. The opossum is characterized by a brown to ...

(''Caluromys lanatus'') *** Genus ''

Caluromysiops The black-shouldered opossum (''Caluromysiops irrupta''), also known as the white-eared opossum, is an opossum known from western Brazil and southeastern Peru. It was first described by Colin Campbell Sanborn, curator of Field Museum of Natural ...

'' **** Black-shouldered opossum (''Caluromysiops irrupta'') ** Subfamily Hyladelphinae *** Genus '' Hyladelphys'' **** Kalinowski's mouse opossum (''Hyladelphys kalinowskii'') *** Genus †'' Sairadelphys'' **** †''Sairadelphys tocantinensis'' ** Subfamily Didelphinae *** Tribe Metachirini Vieraugen-Opossum (Metachirus nudicaudatus)

Vieraugen-Opossum (Metachirus nudicaudatus)

**** Genus '' Metachirus'' ***** Guianan brown four-eyed opossum (''Metachirus nudicaudatus'') *****

Common brown four-eyed opossum Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally com ...

(''Metachirus myosuros'') *** Tribe Didelphini Schwimmbeutler-drawing2

**** Genus ''

Chironectes The water opossum (''Chironectes minimus''), also locally known as the yapok (), is a marsupial of the family Didelphidae.* It is the only living member of its genus, ''Chironectes''. This semiaquatic creature is found in and near freshwater ...

'' *****

Water opossum The water opossum (''Chironectes minimus''), also locally known as the yapok (), is a marsupial of the family Didelphidae.* It is the only living member of its genus, ''Chironectes''. This semiaquatic creature is found in and near freshwater ...

or yapok (''Chironectes minimus'') **** Unnamed subgroup ***** Genus '' Lutreolina'' ****** †'' Lutreolina biforata'' ****** Big lutrine opossum or little water opossum (''Lutreolina crassicaudata'') Cambridge Natural History Mammalia Fig 084

Cambridge Natural History Mammalia Fig 084

****** †'' Lutreolina materdei'' ****** Massoia's lutrine opossum (''Lutreolina massoia'') ***** †Genus '' Hyperdidelphys'' ****** †'' Hyperdidelphys dimartinoi'' ****** †'' Hyperdidelphys inexpectata'' ****** †'' Hyperdidelphys parvula'' ****** †'' Hyperdidelphys pattersoni'' **** Unnamed subgroup ***** Genus ''

Didelphis aurita photo-Christian Roger Dockhorn

****** White-eared opossum (''Didelphis albiventris'') ****** Big-eared opossum (''Didelphis aurita'') ****** Guianan white-eared opossum (''Didelphis imperfecta'') ******

Common opossum The common opossum (''Didelphis marsupialis''), also called the southern or black-eared opossum or gambá, and sometimes called a possum, is a marsupial species living from the northeast of Mexico to Bolivia (reaching the coast of the South Pac ...

(''Didelphis marsupialis'') ****** Andean white-eared opossum (''Didelphis pernigra'') ****** †''Didelphis solimoensis'' ******

(''Didelphis virginiana'') ***** Genus '' Philander'' Cuica verdadeira2

****** Anderson's four-eyed opossum (''Philander andersoni'') ****** Common four-eyed opossum (''Philander canus'') ******

Deltaic four-eyed opossum The deltaic four-eyed opossum or delta opossum (''Philander deltae'') is a species of opossum found in the Orinoco River delta region of Venezuela, South America, first described in 2006. It inhabits perennially flooded swamp forest or seasonally ...

(''Philander deltae'') ****** Southeastern four-eyed opossum (''Philander frenatus'') ****** McIlhenny's four-eyed opossum (''Philander mcilhennyi'') ****** Dark four-eyed opossum (''Philander melanurus'') ****** Mondolfi's four-eyed opossum (''Philander mondolfii'') ****** Black four-eyed opossum (''Philander nigratus'') ****** Olrog's four-eyed opossum (''Philander olrogi'') ******

Gray four-eyed opossum The gray four-eyed opossum (''Philander opossum'') is an opossum species from Central and South America, ranging from southern Mexico to Peru, Bolivia and southwestern Brazil, at altitudes from sea level to 1600 m, but generally below . Its hab ...

(''Philander opossum'') ****** Pebas four-eyed opossum (''Philander pebas'') ****** Northern four-eyed opossum (''Philander vossi'') ***** †Genus '' Thylophorops'' ****** †'' Thylophorops chapadmalensis'' ****** †'' Thylophorops lorenzinii'' ****** †'' Thylophorops perplana'' *** Tribe Marmosini **** Genus †'' Hesperocynus'' ***** †'' Hesperocynus dolgopolae'' **** Genus ''

Marmosa The 27 species in the genus ''Marmosa'' are relatively small Neotropical members of the family Didelphidae. This genus is one of three that are known as mouse opossums. The others are '' Thylamys'' (the "fat-tailed mouse opossums") and '' Tlacua ...

'' ***** Subgenus ''Marmosa'' Marmosa robinsoni

****** Heavy-browed mouse opossum (''Marmosa andersoni'') ****** Isthmian mouse opossum (''Marmosa isthmica'') ****** Rufous mouse opossum (''Marmosa lepida'') ****** Mexican mouse opossum (''Marmosa mexicana'') ******

Linnaeus's mouse opossum Linnaeus's mouse opossum (''Marmosa murina''), also known as the common or murine mouse opossum, is a South American marsupial of the family Didelphidae. Range and habitat Its range includes Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, ...

(''Marmosa murina'') ****** Quechuan mouse opossum (''Marmosa quichua'') ******

Robinson's mouse opossum Robinson's mouse opossum (''Marmosa robinsoni'') is a species of opossum in the family Didelphidae. It is found in Belize, Colombia, Ecuador, Grenada, Honduras, Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. Robinson's mouse opossums mov ...

(''Marmosa robinsoni'') ****** Red mouse opossum (''Marmosa rubra'') ****** Simon's mouse opossum (''Marmosa simonsi'') ****** Tyler's mouse opossum (''Marmosa tyleriana'') ****** Waterhouse's mouse opossum (''Marmosa waterhousei'') ****** Guajira mouse opossum (''Marmosa xerophila'') ****** Zeledon's mouse opossum (''Marmosa zeledoni'') ****** Adler’s mouse opossum (''Marmosa adleri)'' ***** Subgenus ''Micoureus'' Cuíca - Marmosa paraguayana cropped

****** Alston's woolly mouse opossum (''Marmosa alstoni'') ****** White-bellied woolly mouse opossum (''Marmosa constantiae'') ****** Northeastern woolly mouse opossum (''Marmosa demerarae'') ****** Northwestern woolly mouse opossum (''Marmosa germana'') ****** Jansa's woolly mouse opossum (''Marmosa jansae'') ******†'' Marmosa laventica'' ****** Brazilian woolly mouse opossum (''Marmosa limae'') ******

Merida woolly mouse opossum Mérida or Merida may refer to: Places *Mérida (state), one of the 23 states which make up Venezuela *Mérida, Mérida, the capital city of the state of Mérida, Venezuela * Merida, Leyte, Philippines, a municipality in the province of Leyte * ...

(''Marmosa meridae'') ****** Tate's woolly mouse opossum (''Marmosa paraguayanus'') ****** Peruvian woolly mouse opossum (''Marmosa parda'') ****** Anthony's woolly mouse opossum (''Marmosa perplexa'') ****** Little woolly mouse opossum (''Marmosa phaeus'') ******

Bolivian woolly mouse opossum Bolivian may refer to: * Something of, or related to Bolivia ** Bolivian people ** Demographics of Bolivia ** Culture of Bolivia Bolivia is a country in South America, bordered by Brazil to the north and east, Paraguay and Argentina to the so ...

(''Marmosa rapposa'') ****** Bare-tailed woolly mouse opossum (''Marmosa rutteri'') **** Genus ''

***** Sepia short-tailed opossum (''Monodelphis adusta'') ***** Northern three-striped opossum (''Monodelphis americana'') ***** Arlindo's short-tailed opossum (''Monodelphis arlindoi'') ***** Northern red-sided opossum (''Monodelphis brevicaudata'') ***** Yellow-sided opossum (''Monodelphis dimidiata'') *****

Gray short-tailed opossum The gray short-tailed opossum (''Monodelphis domestica'') is a small South American member of the family Didelphidae. Unlike most other marsupials, the gray short-tailed opossum does not have a true pouch. The scientific name ''Monodelphis'' is ...

(''Monodelphis domestica'') ***** Emilia's short-tailed opossum (''Monodelphis emiliae'') ***** Amazonian red-sided opossum (''Monodelphis glirina'') ***** Handley's short-tailed opossum (''Monodelphis handleyi'') ***** Ihering's three-striped opossum (''Monodelphis iheringi'') ***** Pygmy short-tailed opossum (''Monodelphis kunsi'') ***** Marajó short-tailed opossum (''Monodelphis maraxina'') ***** Osgood's short-tailed opossum (''Monodelphis osgoodi'') ***** Hooded red-sided opossum (''Monodelphis palliolata'') ***** Long-nosed short-tailed opossum (''Monodelphis pinocchio'') ***** Reig's opossum ''(Monodelphis reigi)'' ***** Ronald's opossum (''Monodelphis ronaldi'') ***** Chestnut-striped opossum (''Monodelphis rubida'') ***** Saci short-tailed opossum (''Monodelphis saci'') ***** Santa Rosa short-tailed opossum (''Monodelphis sanctaerosae'') ***** Long-nosed short-tailed opossum (''Monodelphis scalops'') ***** Southern red-sided opossum (''Monodelphis sorex'') ***** Southern three-striped opossum (''Monodelphis theresa'') ***** Touan short-tailed opossum (''Monodelphis touan'') ***** Red three-striped opossum (''Monodelphis umbristriata'') *****

One-striped opossum The one-striped opossum (''Monodelphis unistriata'') is a possibly extinct opossum species from South America. It is known only from two specimens found in Brazil in 1821 and Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( e ...

(''Monodelphis unistriata'') ***** Voss's short-tailed opossum (''Monodelphis vossi'') **** Genus †'' Sparassocynus'' ***** †'' Sparassocynus bahiai'' ***** †'' Sparassocynus derivatus'' ***** †'' Sparassocynus maimarai'' ***** †'' Sparassocynus heterotopicus'' **** Genus †'' Thylatheridium'' ***** †'' Thylatheridium cristatum'' ***** †'' Thylatheridium hudsoni'' ***** †'' Thylatheridium pascuali'' **** Genus '' Tlacuatzin'' ***** Balsas gray mouse opossum (''Tlacuatzin balsasensis'') ***** Tehuantepec gray mouse opossum (''Tlacuatzin canescens'') ***** Yucatan gray mouse opossum (''Tlacuatzin gaumeri'') ***** Tres Marías gray mouse opossum (''Tlacuatzin insularis'') *****

Northern gray mouse opossum Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a r ...

(''Tlacuatzin sinaloae'') **** †Genus '' Zygolestes'' ***** †'' Zygolestes tatei'' *** Tribe Thylamyini **** Genus '' Chacodelphys'' ***** Chacoan pygmy opossum (''Chacodelphys formosa'') **** Genus '' Cryptonanus'' ***** Agricola's gracile opossum (''Cryptonanus agricolai'') ***** Chacoan gracile opossum (''Cryptonanus chacoensis'') ***** Guahiba gracile opossum (''Cryptonanus guahybae'') ***** † Red-bellied gracile opossum (''Cryptonanus ignitus'') ***** Unduavi gracile opossum (''Cryptonanus unduaviensis'') **** Genus '' Gracilinanus'' ***** Aceramarca gracile opossum (''Gracilinanus aceramarcae'') ***** Agile gracile opossum (''Gracilinanus agilis'') ***** Wood sprite gracile opossum (''Gracilinanus dryas'') ***** Emilia's gracile opossum (''Gracilinanus emilae'') ***** Northern gracile opossum (''Gracilinanus marica'') ***** Brazilian gracile opossum (''Gracilinanus microtarsus'') *****

Peruvian opossum Peruvians ( es, peruanos) are the citizens of Peru. There were Andean and coastal ancient civilizations like Caral, which inhabited what is now Peruvian territory for several millennia before the Spanish conquest in the 16th century; Peruvian p ...

(''Gracilinanus peruanus'') **** Genus '' Lestodelphys'' ***** Patagonian opossum (''Lestodelphys halli'') **** Genus ''

Marmosops ''Marmosops'' is a genus of Neotropical opossums of the family Didelphidae. The genus was originally treated as a subgenus from the genus ''Marmosa'' rather than having their own classification. This was changed in 1989 by Gardner and Crieghto ...

*****

Bishop's slender opossum Bishop's slender opossum (''Marmosops bishopi'') is a small, arboreal marsupial opossum native to Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia. It somewhat resembles a placental rat or shrew Shrews (family Soricidae) are small mole-like mammals classified ...

(''Marmosops bishopi'') ***** Carr's slender opossum (''Marmosops carri'') ***** Cordillera slender opossum (''Marmosops chucha'') ***** Narrow-headed slender opossum (''Marmosops cracens'') *****

Creighton's slender opossum Creighton's slender opossum (''Marmosops creightoni''), also known commonly as Voss' slender opossum is a species of South American opossum of the family Didelphidae. It is known only from the valley of the Rio Zongo in La Paz Department, Bo ...

(''Marmosops creightoni'') *****

Dorothy's slender opossum Dorothy's slender opossum (''Marmosops dorothea'') is a species of opossum in the family Didelphidae. It is found in Brazil and Bolivia. It is threatened by habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction ...

(''Marmosops dorothea'') *****

Dusky slender opossum The dusky slender opossum (''Marmosops fuscatus'') is a species of opossum in the family Didelphidae. It is found in Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. It is threatened by habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat ...

(''Marmosops fuscatus'') *****

Handley's slender opossum Handley's slender opossum (''Marmosops handleyi'') is a species of opossum in the family Didelphidae. It is endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, co ...

(''Marmosops handleyi'') *****

Tschudi's slender opossum Tschudi's slender opossum (''Marmosops impavidus'') is an opossum species from South America, named after Swiss naturalist Johann Jakob von Tschudi. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela Venezu ...

(''Marmosops impavidus'') *****

Gray slender opossum The gray slender opossum (''Marmosops incanus''), is an opossum species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often ...

(''Marmosops incanus'') ***** Panama slender opossum (''Marmosops invictus'') ***** Junin slender opossum (''Marmosops juninensis'') ***** Río Magdalena slender opossum (''Marmosops magdalena'') ***** Silva's slender opossum (''Marmosops marina'') ***** Neblina slender opossum (''Marmosops neblina'') ***** White-bellied slender opossum (''Marmosops noctivagus'') ***** Ojasti's slender opossum (''Marmosops ojastii'') ***** Pantepui slender opossum (''Marmosops pakaraimae'') ***** Delicate slender opossum (''Marmosops parvidens'') ***** Brazilian slender opossum (''Marmosops paulensis'') ***** Pinheiro's slender opossum (''Marmosops pinheiroi'') ***** Soini's slender opossum (''Marmosops soinii'') ***** Woodall's slender opossum (''Marmosops woodalli'') **** Genus ''

Thylamys ''Thylamys'' is a genus of opossums in the family Didelphidae. The premaxillae are rounded rather than pointed. The females lack a pouch. The females' nipples are arranged in two symmetrical rows on the abdomen. All species but ''T. macrurus'' ...

References

External links

"Possums or Opossums?"
��on Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa * {{Authority control Extant Miocene first appearances Marsupials of Central America Marsupials of North America Marsupials of South America Marsupials Miocene mammals of South America Taxa named by John Edward Gray