Species: Didelphis virginiana
Virginia Opossum
Species
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Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Craniata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Didelphimorphia
Family
Didelphidae
Genus
Didelphis
NatureServe
Classification
Other Global Common Names
Tlacuache Común, Guazalo, Zorro Pelón - opossum d'Amérique
Informal Taxonomy
Animals, Vertebrates - Mammals - Other Mammals
Formal Taxonomy
Animalia - Craniata - Mammalia - Didelphimorphia - Didelphidae - Didelphis
Ecology and Life History
Migration
true - false - false - Virginia Opossums are also considered to be nomadic, remaining in an area only six months to a year (Hunsaker and Shupe 1977). Home ranges in the United States varied from 4.7 to 254 hectares, averaging about 20 hectares (Hunsaker 1977); in Venezuela home ranges varied from an average of 11.3 hectares in the dry season to 13.2 hectares in the wet season (Sunquist et al. 1987).
Non-migrant
true
Locally Migrant
false
Food Comments
Highly opportunistic. Foods include insects and other invertebrates, fruits, grains, carrion, small vertebrates, and human garbage.
Reproduction Comments
U.S. mating season January-July. Commonly 2 litters/year, sometimes 3; usually 1/year in north. Gestation lasts 13 days. As many as 23 offspring may compete for 13 or so teats. Average of 8-9 young are weaned after 10-12 weeks. Sexually mature at 9 months. Juveniles experience a high rate of mortality (Hossler et al. 1994). Females seldom live through more than one reproductive season.
Ecology Comments
Populations typically include a high percentage of young. Winter density was 1/9.9 ha and 1/44.5 ha at two locations in Tennessee (Kissell and Kennedy 1992).
Length
102
Weight
6300
Conservation Status
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G5
Global Status Last Reviewed
1996-11-01
Global Status Last Changed
1996-11-01
Other Status
LC - Least concern
Distribution
Conservation Status Map
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Global Range
Most of eastern U.S. and adjacent southeastern Canada, ranging west to South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, and Arizona, south to southern Central America; introduced in Pacific Coast states, ranging up Columbia River to Idaho. Range is expanding north and west.