{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "opossum",
  "name": "Opossum",
  "scientificName": "Didelphis virginiana",
  "category": "Mammal",
  "summary": "The Virginia opossum is the only marsupial native to the United States and Canada, carrying its young in a pouch like a kangaroo. It is a cat-sized, grey-furred animal with a pointed pink snout, a prehensile tail, and 50 teeth — more than any other North American land mammal. Famous for 'playing possum', it eats almost anything, including ticks, and usually lives only 2 to 4 years.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Mammalia",
    "order": "Didelphimorphia",
    "family": "Didelphidae",
    "genus": "Didelphis"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 6,
    "lengthM": 0.9,
    "topSpeedKmh": 24,
    "lifespanYears": 4
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Didelphis virginiana"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Omnivore (insects, carrion, fruit, eggs)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Woodland, farmland, suburbs of North America"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "2–4 years"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "2–6 kg (4–13 lb)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "24 km/h (15 mph)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Across the eastern and central United States, expanding north into Canada and along the coasts; the only marsupial north of Mexico.",
    "continents": [
      "North America"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Didelphis virginiana.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Didelphis%20virginiana&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Didelphis virginiana. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Didelphis_virginiana/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Wikipedia — Opossum.",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_opossum"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/opossum/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/opossum/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}