Opossum
in zoölogy, the popular name for the pouched mammals which have a geographical range from the United States to Patagonia. They vary OPOSSUM from the size of a mouse to that of a large cat, and have long noses, ears, and (generally) naked prehensile tails. The Virginian opossum (Didelphys virginiana), common over all temperate America, is the best-known of the family. The crab-eating opossum inhabits cen- OPPENHEIM tral and tropical South America. Lord Derby's opossum, like some others which have been placed in a separate group, has no pouches in which to carry its young; they commonly ride on their mother's back, twining their prehensile WATER OPOSSUM tails round hers. The Murine opossum, no larger than a common mouse, is bright red, red, and ranges from Central Mexico to the S. of Brazil. The most remarkable of the group, the three-striped opossum from Brazil, is reddish-gray, with three deep black bands down the back.