Genus Didelphis
"Large American Opossums"
Didelphis Pictures
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The scientific names are from the photo's original source (though I corrected some of the spelling or family names).
Didelphis albiventris
(Lund, 1841)
Names
They were originally known as Didelphis azarae. The Smithsonian lists their synonyms as andina, antigua, bonariensis, brasiliensis, dennleri, imperfecta, lechei, leucotis, meridensis, paraguayensis, pernigra, and poecilotis.
- English: White-Eared Opossum
- Czech: vačice bělobřichá
- Czech: vačice kasaku
- Russian: ЮЖНЫЙ ОПОССУМ
- Spanish: Zarigüeya de Oreyas Blancas
- Spanish: Comedreja Común
- Spanish: Mbicuré Común
- Portuguese: Gambá
- Portuguese: Saruê
These opossums are found in Argentina (Northern half), Bolivia, Brazil (North, Minas Gerais, Riso das Velhas, Lagoa Santa), Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Paraguay, Suriname (Southwest), Uruguay, and Venezuela (South). They are uncommon but not rare in the wild.
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Didelphis aurita
(Wied-Neuwied, 1826)
Names
The Smithsonian lists their synonyms as azarae, brasiliensis, koseritzi, longipilis and melanoidis. Comment from the Smithsonian: "Previously considered a disjunct population of D. marsupialis (see Cerqueira, 1985). The senior synonym is D. azarae Temminck, 1824 (see Hershkovitz, 1969); however, the name had been misapplied to D. albiventris for over 160 years."
- English: Big-Eared Opossum
- Czech: vačice ušatá
- Spanish: Gambá
- Spanish: Macura
- Spanish: Mbicuré Overo
These opossums are found in Argentina (Northeast), Brazil (East) and Paraguay (Southeast). Their body size is about 985 grams. (Olifers, 2004).
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Didelphis marsupialis
(Lannaeus, 1758)
Names
The Smithsonian lists their synonyms as austroamericana, battyi, cancrivora, caucae, colombica, cetensis, insularis, karkinophaga, mesamericana, particeps, richmondi, tabascensis and typica.
- English: Southern Opossum
- English: Common Opossum
- English: Crab-eating Opossum
- Costa Rica: Zorro Pelón
- Czech: vačice mukuru
- Czech: vačice cancrivora
- Honduras: Guazalo
- Portuguese: Gambá
- Portuguese: Sariguea
- Russian: СЕВЕРНЫЙ ОПОССУМ
- Spanish: Zarigüeya Cangrejera
- Spanish: Mbicuré Cangrejero
- Spanish: Tacuazin
- Spanish: Tlacuache Común
- Spanish: Guazalo
- Spanish: Zarigüeya
These opossums are found in Argentina (northern/northeast), Bolivia, Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Paraguay, Suriname, El Salvador, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela. They are common to abundant, and not considered threatened or endangered. Like most opossums they are primarily nocturnal, but these opossums may be seen early in the morning too. They are generally terrestrial but climb well and may nest in trees or vines. They are nomadic and may travel 1-3 km per night within their home range. They are not particularly territorial; males may stay only 1 night per nest, though females may spend up to 5 nights in one nest. They are more aggressive than the Didelphis virginiana opossum. Rather than "playing dead", when threatened they hiss, rock side-to-side and may spray urine and feces. If they are able to escape, their preferred methods involves climbing to 3-5 meters above ground. Their lifespan is usually less than 2 years. They are omnivorous to carnivorous. The Field Guide to the Mammals of Central America describes their tendency to take advantage of live-traps set for rodents and bats by eating the captured animals before the trapper can find and removes them. During the dry season they tend to eat more fruit and nectar than animals. Their weight ranges from 2-5.5 kg according to Biology, Medicine and Surgery of South American Wildlife (Fowler, 2001), though the Field Guide to the Mammals of Central America describes their weight as 0.6-2.4 kg. Sexual Maturity: Females reach sexual maturity at 7 months. In Costa Rica, February and July are most common for births and females have 2+ litters per year. They may give birth to 20+ at a time, but only 9 can successfully attach to the nipples to survive. It is estimated up to 2/3rds of those 9 die while in the pouch. The young are weaned around 3 months of age.
As described in the Field Guide to the Mammals of Central America:
"Upperparts blackish, gray, or, less commonly, whitish (depending on relative extent of long, black or white guard hairs); underparts yellow, orange or cream. Fur long, coarse, and shaggy. Ears naked, entirely black (in adult). Face pale with narrow black eye rings and blackish median line on forehead; cheeks cream or yellowish orange, sometimes lightly peppered with black hairs, not pure white. Eyeshine bright, reddish. All long whiskers on muzzle and cheeks are black. Tail slightly longer than head and body length, base haired like the body, naked portion black near base with a long, white tip, usually 1/3 black, 2/3 white, sometimes half black, half white, or all-black. Legs and feet black."
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Didelphis virginiana
(Kerr, 1792)
The Smithsonian lists their synonyms as boreoamericana, breviceps, californica, cozumelae, illinensium, mesamericana, pigra, pilosissima, pruinosa, texensis, typica, woapink and yucatanensis.
Names
- English: Virginia Opossum
- Czech: vačice virginská
- Czech: vačice viržinská
- Dutch: Noordamerikaanse opossum
- Russian: ВИРГИНСКИЙ ОПОССУМ
- Spanish: Tlacuache Común
- Spanish: Guazalo
- Spanish: Zorro Pelón
- Spanish: Zarigüeya de Virginia
These opossums are found in Belize, Canada (Southeast Ontario) Costa Rica (Northern, Northwest), El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and the United States. They are not a high risk for threatened or endangered status. They are found in many places, including lowland deciduous forest and montane regions. They are both terrestrial and semi-nomadic, with a large home range. Their nests are commonly found on the ground rather than in trees. Nests are found in brush, buildings, burrows abandoned by other animals, hollow logs, rocks, and tree cavities. Females have litters up to 13.
As described in the Field Guide to the Mammals of Central America:
"Upperparts gray or whitish (rarely blackish; long, white guard hairs usually present); underparts white, cream or yellowish. Fur long, coarse and shaggy. Ears naked, black and sometimes with narrow white tips. Face white, with narrow black eye rings and blackish median line on forehead; cheeks pure white, long whiskers on muzzle and cheeks mixed black and white. Tail equal to or shorter than head and body length, base furred like the body, naked portion usually half black, half white, or 2/3 black, 1/3 white, sometimes all black. Legs and feet black."
Kathy Adams Clark has a lovely photo and details about Didelphis virginiana on this page.
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