noun
definition
Any American marsupial of the family Didelphidae. The common species of the United States is Didelphis virginiana.
Examples of opossum in a Sentence
There are 3 species of opossum.
The opossum (Didelphis) is represented by three or four species, two of which are so small that they are generally called wood rats.
The opossum of America is the only species out of Australasia which is thus provided.
If it isn't the skunks and opossum killing the chickens, it's the weeds taking over the garden.
The common Australian "opossum" or phalanger (Trichosurus vulpecula) has been naturalized in New Zealand, although very destructive to fruit trees; the value of its fur being probably the motive.
Besides these there are many useful, though commonplace, fur-bearing animals like mink, musquash, skunk, raccoon, opossum, hamster, rabbit, hares and moles, that thrive by depredations upon cultivated land.
As illustrative of this, it may be explained that any brown tone of fur such as sable, marten, mink, black marten, beaver, nutria, &c., will go well upon black or very dark-brown furs, while those of a white or grey nature, such as ermine, white lamb, chinchilla, blue fox, silver fox, opossum, grey squirrel, grey lamb, will set well upon seal or black furs, as Persian lamb, broadtail, astrachan, caracul lamb, &c. White is also permissible upon some light browns and greys, but brown motley colours and greys should never be in contrast.
Similar remarks are applicable to opossum rugs made 41 Australia.
Tapirs are to be found in the eastern forests, the peccary in more open woodlands, and the opossum in nearly every part of the country.
On the Coastal Plain are the musk-rat, the eastern cotton-tail, chipmunk, grey fox, common mole and Virginia opossum.
The red, or Virginia, deer and the grey fox are still found in circumscribed localities; and of the smaller mammals, the squirrel, chipmunk, rabbit, raccoon and opossum are still numerous.
The sloth, armadillo, opossum, skunk and a species of fox complete the list of the more common quadrupeds so far as known, though it is certain that a careful biological survey would discover many others.
The latter may, however, be split up into several sub-generic groups, such as Metachirus, Philander, Marmosa (Micoureus or Grymaeomys), Peramys, Dromiciops, &c. The small South American forms included in Marmosa, which lack the pouch, and have numerous teats, and molar teeth of a primitive type, are doubtless the most generalized representatives of the group (see Opossum; and WATER-Opossum).
It is the northernmost home of the opossum, grey fox, fox squirrel, cardinal bird, Carolina wren, tufted tit, gnat catcher, summer tanager and yellow-breasted chat.
Among the mammals are the opossum, raccoon, star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata), grey fox and fox squirrel.
The Moon in Greek myths loved Endymion, and was bribed to be the mistress of Pan by the present of a fleece, like the Dawn in Australia, whose unchastity was rewarded by a gift of a red cloak of opossum skin.
By PLoS Biology The genetic code of the gray, short-tailed opossum reveals insights into the evolution of the major histocompatibility complex.