Virginia opossum

The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) is a North American marsupial with a pointed face, a prehensile tail, and a defensive response that can include feigning death.

Thanatosis: An involuntary defensive response in which an animal becomes still and appears dead. The opossum’s best-known defense is a prolonged form of this response.
Marsupial: A mammal whose young are born at an early developmental stage and usually continue developing attached to a teat. The Virginia opossum is the only marsupial native to North America north of Mexico.
Urban wildlife: Wild animals that live in or use human-built environments. Virginia opossums forage and shelter in towns and cities across their range.
Common opossum: A large opossum species, Didelphis marsupialis, found in Central and South America and parts of the Caribbean. It is a close relative with a range that overlaps the Virginia opossum in parts of Central America.
Prehensile tail: A tail adapted to grasp or hold objects through muscular control. The opossum can use its tail to grip branches and carry nesting material.
Didelphidae: The family of American opossums, including more than one hundred living species. This family contains the Virginia opossum and its close relatives.
Wildlife rehabilitation: The care of injured, orphaned, or ill wild animals with the goal of returning them to the wild. Orphaned young opossums may need specialized care before release.
Raccoon: A medium-sized North American mammal known for dexterous forepaws and a black facial mask. Raccoons share urban habitats with opossums and compete for some foods and shelters.
Marsupium: A pouch on a female marsupial’s abdomen where young develop after birth. Newborn opossums crawl into this pouch and attach to teats.
Didelphis: A genus of large opossums native to the Americas. The Virginia opossum is one of the species in this genus.

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