FIELD BOOK OF MAMMALS 



Family Didelphiidae. Opossums 



Small to medium-sized marsupials with five toes on fore and 

 hind feet; tail usually long and prehensile; teeth fifty in 

 number; diet omnivorous, insectivorous, and carnivorous. 



Genus Didelphis 



Dentition: Incisors, f; Canines, 1; Premolars, f ; Molars, | = 50 



Opossum. — Didelphis virginiana 



and related forms 



Names. — Opossum; Common Opossum; Eastern Opossum; 

 Virginia Opossum. Plate II. 



General Description. — A marsupial mammal with body 

 about the size of a House Cat, long naked tail, large naked 

 ears, long fur, grizzled gray in color. 



Head long, with slender muzzle; ears prominent; tail pre- 

 hensile ; marsupial pouch present ; forefeet with five toes, each 

 toe with a nail; hind feet with five toes, the first toe large, 

 nailless and opposable; soles naked; pelage composed of very 

 long external hairs and short, soft underfur; terrestrial and 

 arboreal in habit. 



Color. — Adults: Sexes alike in color; no marked seasonal 

 variation. 



Upperparts. — Long, outer fur a mixture of coarse black and 

 white hairs to give a grizzled appearance, the white hairs very 

 long and exceeding the black in length ; head whitish to yellow- 

 ish ; cheeks whitish ; black or sooty about top of head and eyes ; 

 ears with yellow spot on upper edge, otherwise black. 



Underparts. — A mixture of dark hairs and white hairs, the 

 black predominating to give dusky appearance; legs and feet 

 dusky ; tail with long body hair running down a short distance 

 at base, the naked, scaly portion black at the base, then yellow- 

 ish white for rest of its length. Marsupial pouch, found on 

 females, a fur-lined opening along lower abdomen. 



Young. — Colors not as contrasting as in adults, general 

 appearance lighter. 



Measurements. — Total length, 33 inches; tail vertebras, 

 12.5 inches; hind foot, 3 inches. 



