Didelphis Virginiana
Least Concern
2 years in the wild
`4 years in captivity
4-12 lbs
Virginia Opossums are traditionally found across the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, all throughout Mexico, and up to Ontario in Canada. The Virginia Opossum has since been introduced to California, and British Columbia in Canada.
Virginia Opossums are true omnivores, meaning they will eat almost anything. In the wild, some of the things Opossums can be found dining on are rodents, bugs, birds and eggs, as well as fruits and vegetables. In areas with a dense human population, the Virginia opossum enjoys things left out by humans like cat and dog food as well. Opossums are also known to scavenge for dead animals to eat.
Possums in Australia were actually named after opossums in America, not the other way around
The word “opossum” is from the Powhatan language, although nowadays, you will often find people simply referring to opossums as “possums”
The oldest opossum fossils are 20 million years old
Virginia opossums are the only opossum species found in the United States
Although most people probably think of Australia when they think of marsupials, the United States is lucky enough to have a marsupial species of their own! The Virginia Opossum is the northernmost marsupial in the world, and the only marsupial living north of Mexico.
Virginia Opossums are nocturnal animals that are about the size of a domestic cat, and have hairless prehensile tails that assist them in grabbing tree branches while climbing. While Virginia opossums have the most teeth of any land mammal in North America, they have incredibly small brains. An opossum’s brain is only 1/5th as big as a raccoon’s.