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common opossum (Didelphis marsupialis)
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opossum

marsupial, Didelphidae family
Also known as: Didelphidae, possum
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common opossum (Didelphis marsupialis)
common opossum (Didelphis marsupialis) Common opossum (Didelphis marsupialis). The common opossum is native to tropical North and South America, its geographic range extending from central Mexico to Bolivia and Brazil.

Opossums are New World marsupial mammals belonging to the family Didelphidae. The term "opossum" can refer to over 100 species within the orders Didelphimorphia, Paucituberculata, and Microbiotheria. The most well-known is the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), found in North America, which is about the size of a house cat and has a prehensile tail.12

Opossums are omnivorous, consuming insects, small mammals, fruits, and more. They have developed unique survival adaptations, such as feigning death ("playing possum") and possessing a blood protein that can neutralize various venoms. In terms of reproduction, marsupials like opossums have a short gestation period, with their young born in a very undeveloped state and completing their development in a pouch.13

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4 Britannica Sources
  1. opossum
  2. short-tailed opossum
  3. Didelphidae
  4. mammal - Estrus and other cycles

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