Virginia opossum
E452408
The Virginia opossum is North America’s only native marsupial, a nocturnal omnivore known for “playing dead” as a defense mechanism and thriving in a wide range of habitats, including forests and urban areas.
Statements (66)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
mammal
ⓘ
marsupial ⓘ species ⓘ |
| activityPattern | nocturnal ⓘ |
| adaptation | tolerance of human-modified environments ⓘ |
| assessedBy | IUCN Red List NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| averageLitterSize | 8 to 9 young ⓘ |
| averageWeight | about 2 to 6 kilograms ⓘ |
| behavior | solitary ⓘ |
| binomialName | Didelphis virginiana ⓘ |
| bodyLength | about 35 to 55 centimeters ⓘ |
| class | Mammalia ⓘ |
| coatColor | grayish ⓘ |
| commonName |
North American opossum
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Virginia opossum ⓘ |
| conservationStatus | Least Concern ⓘ |
| defenseMechanism |
emitting foul-smelling fluid
ⓘ
playing dead ⓘ thanatosis ⓘ |
| diet | omnivorous ⓘ |
| eats |
carrion
ⓘ
fruits ⓘ grains ⓘ human food waste ⓘ insects ⓘ small vertebrates ⓘ |
| ecologicalRole |
insect predator
ⓘ
scavenger ⓘ seed disperser ⓘ |
| faceColor | white ⓘ |
| family | Didelphidae NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| genus | Didelphis NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| gestationPeriod | about 12 to 13 days ⓘ |
| habitat |
forests
ⓘ
suburban areas ⓘ urban areas ⓘ woodlands ⓘ |
| hasFeature |
opposable hallux on hind feet
ⓘ
pointed snout ⓘ prominent whiskers ⓘ |
| hasPouch | true ⓘ |
| hasTailType | prehensile tail ⓘ |
| hasTeethCount | 50 teeth ⓘ |
| infraclass | Marsupialia ⓘ |
| introducedTo |
California
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Pacific Northwest of North America NERFINISHED ⓘ Some Caribbean islands ⓘ Western Canada NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| kingdom | Animalia ⓘ |
| lifespanInWild | about 2 to 4 years ⓘ |
| nativeTo |
Central America
ⓘ
Mexico NERFINISHED ⓘ North America ⓘ United States NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| notableBehavior |
climbing using prehensile tail and feet
ⓘ
hissing and growling when threatened ⓘ |
| order | Didelphimorphia NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| phylum | Chordata ⓘ |
| reproductiveStrategy | gives birth to highly altricial young ⓘ |
| sheltersIn |
abandoned structures
ⓘ
burrows ⓘ tree cavities ⓘ |
| susceptibilityToRabies | low ⓘ |
| tailLength | about 25 to 54 centimeters ⓘ |
| taxonRank | species ⓘ |
| thermoregulation | relatively low body temperature ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.