Where’s Wildlife · Mammal Field Guide
Didelphis virginiana
Pronounced (approx.): dy-DEL-fis ver-jin-ee-AY-nuh
North America’s familiar marsupial carries its youngest offspring in a pouch.
Virginia Opossum. Select the image to browse all 3 photographs.
NATIVE TO NORTH AMERICA
Pale, pointed face
Hairless-looking ears
Long, mostly bare, grasping tail
Compare views, markings and body shapes in the photographs below.
The Virginia Opossum has coarse grayish fur, a long pale face and dark, mostly bare ears. Its tail is long and largely hairless. The overall shape differs from a raccoon’s masked face and thick, ringed tail.
The grasping tail assists with balance and climbing, but the familiar picture of an adult routinely sleeping while hanging by its tail is misleading. Look also at the hind feet, which have an opposable toe that helps grip.
Opossums are opportunistic omnivores. They eat fruits, insects, carrion and many other foods while foraging, usually at night. Wooded cover, stream corridors and sheltered spaces allow them to use both natural and settled landscapes.
The very small newborn young continue developing while attached to nipples inside the mother’s pouch. As they grow, they may ride on her back. This marsupial pattern of development differs from that of most other mammals in this guide.
Early development continues in the mother’s pouch.
The tail helps with balance and grasping.
An involuntary immobile response can occur under severe threat.
The Virginia Opossum occurs across much of the eastern and central United States and southward, with additional populations farther west. Its distribution has also extended northward in some areas.
Explore reported sightings on iNaturalist. Observation records are not a complete range map.