Opossum Facts
An opossum is a marsupial, a mammal of the order Didelphimorphia, and the largest group of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere.
- Class
- Mammal
About the opossum
The order holds 126 species in 18 genera, all native to the Americas. Opossums began in South America and moved north during the Great American Interchange, after the two continents joined in the late Cenozoic. Only one species, the Virginia opossum, lives in the United States and Canada, so in North America the word opossum usually means that animal.
Many North Americans just say possum, sometimes written 'possum to show the dropped o. That causes some confusion, because tree-dwelling marsupials in Australasia are called possums too. They earned the name by looking like opossums but belong to a different order. Opossums are generally not aggressive, and they do not often pass on rabies. The order's name, Didelphimorphia, is the scientific label for the whole group.
Did you know?
- The Virginia opossum is the only opossum species in the United States and Canada.
- Opossums arrived in North America from South America after the continents connected.
- Australasian possums belong to a different order from American opossums.
Questions about the opossum
Is a possum the same as an opossum?
In North America, possum usually means the Virginia opossum, but Australasian possums are a different group.
Do opossums carry rabies?
Opossums do not often transmit rabies and are typically nonaggressive.
Sources
- Wikidata Q21834, checked October 8, 2026
- Wikipedia: Opossum, checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.