Species group · Mammals
Opossums
WAnimals has 5 species of opossum, in the family Didelphidae.
- 5 species
- 1 family
- 45 countries
- 117 parks
- Weight
- 200 g – 6.4 kg
- Length
- 20 cm – 55 cm
- Lifespan
- 2 – 5 years
Ranges calculated from the profiles that record the figure, not from all 5.
All 5 species of opossums on WAnimals
Each one has its own full profile. This group does not replace them: it brings them together.
Least ConcernCommon Opossum
Didelphis marsupialis
37 countries22 parks
Least ConcernVirginia Opossum
Didelphis virginiana
6 countries29 parks
Least Concern
Gray Four-Eyed Opossum
Philander opossum
16 countries76 parks
Least Concern
Water Opossum
Chironectes minimus
19 countries77 parks
Least Concern
Central American Woolly Opossum
Caluromys derbianus
10 countries40 parks
Conservation status
5 Least Concern
No species documented in this group is genuinely at risk according to the IUCN, with the data available today.
Where they live
Recorded in 45 countries. The ones with the most species in the group:
Where to see them
Did you know…?
It is famous for feigning death when threatened — "playing possum".
From Common Opossum
It eats fruit, insects, small vertebrates and carrion.
From Common Opossum
It lives in a wide range of habitats across Central and South America and copes well with towns.
From Common Opossum
Isolated populations on predator-free islands have been found to age markedly more slowly than mainland ones.
From Virginia Opossum
It eats fruit, insects, small vertebrates and carrion.
From Virginia Opossum
It lives in woodland, farmland and towns across much of North America.
From Virginia Opossum
The two white spots above its eyes look like a second pair of eyes.
Its two white patches above the eyes probably work as false eyes: in the dark they confuse a predator as to where the animal is really looking.