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Virginia opossum
Species of marsupial / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 States and Canada, it is typically called a possum which technically refers to a different group of animals.[7] It is a solitary nocturnal animal about the size of a domestic cat, and a successful opportunist.
Virginia opossum[1] Temporal range: Middle Pleistocene – present (~600,000–0 YBP)[2] | |
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North American opossum in winter | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
Order: | Didelphimorphia |
Family: | Didelphidae |
Genus: | Didelphis |
Species: | D. virginiana |
Binomial name | |
Didelphis virginiana (Kerr, 1792) | |
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Range of habitat, showing both historic, native range and introductions in the west; these areas are currently expanding northward (e.g., into Wisconsin and Minnesota).[5] | |
Synonyms | |
Didelphis marsupialis virginiana[6] |
Opossums are familiar to many North Americans as they frequently inhabit settled areas near food sources like trash cans, pet food, compost piles, gardens or housemice. Their slow, nocturnal nature and their attraction to roadside carrion make opossums more likely to become roadkill.