Didelphis
Large American opossums[1] | |
---|---|
White-eared opossum Didelphis albiventris | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
Order: | Didelphimorphia |
Family: | Didelphidae |
Subfamily: | Didelphinae |
Genus: | Didelphis Linnaeus, 1758 |
Type species | |
Didelphis marsupialis | |
Species | |
| |
Didelphis is a genus of New World mammals. The six species in the genus Didelphis, commonly known as large American opossums, are members of the order Didelphimorphia. The genus is composed of cat-sized omnivorous species, which can be recognized by their prehensile tails and their tendency to "play possum" (feign death) when cornered. The largest species, the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), is the only marsupial to be found in North America north of Mexico.
References
- ↑ Gardner, A. (2005). Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M., eds. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 5. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
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