Virginia Opossum
Didelphis virginiana
The Virginia opossum is best known for the phrase that follows: "playing possum". It means playing dead. Lo and behold, the Virginia opossum curls up on the ground and releases a foul smell when attacked by a predator. It can be up to 20 inches long and gives birth to up to 21 young at a time, but only has enough milk for 13. It lives in southern North America.
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Water Opossum
Chironectes minimus
The Water opossum is the only aquatic marsupial in the world. Also called the Yapok, both male and female have a pouch that can close under water. They eat fish and frogs and live Northern South America.
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Black-Shouldered Opossum
Caluromysiops irrupta
This fuzzy marsupial got its name from the black stripe that runs from its shoulders to its front legs. A nocturnal creature, this opossum eats fruits and grubs while scrounging around the forest floor. It lives in Western South America.
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Long-Clawed Marsupial Mouse
Neophascogale lorentzii
This marsupial digs for worms, grubs, and similar tasty marsupial morsels by day and sleeps by night. This creatures other name is the Speckled Daysure due to its speckled appearance. It lives in New Guinea.
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Island Ningaui
Ningauri ridei
This nocturnal shrew-like creature is a fierce solitary hunter feeding on beetles crickets and spiders. They survive in the hot, dry, Australian desert by living in an old whole dug by a lizard, rodent, or spider.
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Fat-Tailed Dunnart
Sminthopsis crassicaudata
It is certainly a challenge to survive in the hot, arid, deserts of Australia, but many marsupials have figured out how to do it. This small creature has an ingenious way to store fat to survive in its dry climate. It has a wide tail base with fat in it, and this is how the fat-tailed dunnart got its name.