Didelphidae

Opossums

Family recognized by
IUCN Red List Status: NOT EVALUATED external link Showing: scientific names

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Didelphidae

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Lutreolina crassicaudata
Gracilinanus agilis
Didelphis virginiana
Didelphis virginiana
Didelphis virginiana
Didelphis virginiana
Didelphis virginiana
Didelphis virginiana
Didelphis virginiana

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General Description

GeneralDescription

Source and Additional Information
Supplier
Animal Diversity Web external link
Copyright
©1995-2008, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors. Some rights reserved external link
Author
Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan
Location
Source URL
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Citation
Myers, P. 2001. "Didelphidae" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed October 25, 2009 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Didelphidae.html. 

   

Restricted to North and South America, didelphids have radiated into a wide variety of forms. Most are omnivorous or carnivorous. Several species are arboreal; one is aquatic and has fully webbed hind feet. Didelphids can be found in most habitats from sea level to over 3000m, from dry thornscrub and grassland to tropical forest. The extinct relatives of didelphids were even more varied in their morphology and habits; one group specialized as large carnivores, with one species actually resembling sabre-toothed cats, while another group apparently converged on kangaroo rats and other desert rodents.

 

Didelphids have a full complement of teeth (five upper and four lower incisors on each side of the jaw, one canine, three premolars, and four molars). Opossums are small to medium in body size; all have five digits on fore- and hindfeet, with the first toe on the hindfoot partially opposable; all digits except the first toe on the hindfoot have claws (it has a nail). The tail is long, scaley, and prehensile in most species. Other characteristics are described under the order didelphimorphia.

   
"Didelphidae". Encyclopedia of Life, available from "http://www.eol.org/pages/7622". Accessed 20 Mar 2010.