Opossums
Didelphidae
The opossum (/əˈpɑːsəm/) is a marsupial of the order Didelphimorphia (/daɪˌdɛlfɪˈmɔːrfiə/) endemic to the Americas. The largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, it comprises 103 or more species in 19 genera. Opossums originated in South America, and entered North America in the Great American Interchange following the connection of the two continents. Their unspecialized biology, flexible diet, and reproductive habits make them successful colonizers and survivors in diverse locations and conditions.
4 branches of this family, most-observed first · about 130 known species
Large American Opossums, Mouse Opossums, and Allies
subfamilyDidelphinae
Woolly Opossums
subfamilyCaluromyinae
Bushy-tailed Opossums
subfamilyGlironiinae
Kalinowski's Mouse Opossums
subfamilyHyladelphinae
Where it lives
Recorded sightings
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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
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In the stacks
Searching the stacks…
Every page naming Didelphidae in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 42541.