Opossum
Opossums (/əˈpɒsəm/) are members of the marsupial order Didelphimorphia (/daɪˌdɛlfɪˈmɔːrfiə/) endemic to the Americas. The largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, it comprises 126 species in 18 genera. Opossums originated in South America and entered North America in the Great American Interchange following the connection of North and South America.
| Didelphidae Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| Virginia opossum, Didelphis virginiana, the only U.S. and Canadian species (mother with nine young) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
| Superorder: | Ameridelphia |
| Order: | Didelphimorphia Gill, 1872 |
| Family: | Didelphidae Gray, 1821 |
| Type genus | |
| Didelphis Linnaeus, 1758 | |
| Genera | |
|
Several; see text | |
| Diversity | |
| 127 species | |
The Virginia opossum 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 (/ˈpɒsəm/; sometimes rendered as 'possum in written form to indicate the dropped "o"). Opossums should not be confused with the Australasian arboreal marsupials of suborder Phalangeriformes that are also called possums because of their resemblance to the Didelphimorphia. The opossum is typically a nonaggressive animal and almost never carries the virus for rabies.