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Virginia Opossum
Didelphis virginiana
Silhouette: Sarah Werning · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderDidelphimorphia (Opossums)
- FamilyDidelphidae (Opossums)
- GenusDidelphis (Large American Opossums)
- SpeciesDidelphis virginiana (Virginia Opossum)
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
10 Verified sightings at Channel Islands National Park From 2019 to 2026
321 In all 9 parks
September Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted
About the Virginia Opossum
The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), also known as the North American opossum, is a member of the opossum family found from southern Canada to northern Costa Rica, making it the northernmost marsupial in the world. Commonly referred to simply as the possum, it is a solitary nocturnal animal about the size of a domestic cat, and a successful opportunist.
Opossums are familiar to many North Americans as they frequently inhabit settled areas near food sources like trash cans, pet food, compost piles, gardens or housemice. Their slow, nocturnal nature and their attraction to roadside carrion make opossums more likely to become roadkill than other animals in their range.
The Virginia opossum is the original animal named "opossum", a word that comes from Algonquian wapathemwa, meaning "white animal". Colloquially, the Virginia opossum is frequently just called a "possum". The term is applied more generally to any of the other marsupials of the families Didelphidae and Caenolestidae. The generic name (Didelphis) is derived from Ancient Greek di, "two", and delphus, "womb".
The possums of Australia, whose name derives from their similarity to the American species, are also... Wikipedia →
Sounds
Recording0:03
Mexico · 2020
© gmam04 · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:10
United States · 2023
© pondcypressstudio · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:34
United States · 2018
© Hugh A. Rand · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recent sightings of Virginia Opossum in Channel Islands National Park
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Cities Where Found
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 4 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 5 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Guatemala City | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 10 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
Closest Relatives at Channel Islands National Park
No species of the same family or order lives in Channel Islands National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other mammals.
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Virginia Opossum in Channel Islands National Park?
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Virginia Opossum sighting in Channel Islands National Park on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 15th most-seen of the 22 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Virginia Opossum in Channel Islands National Park?
April–September and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Virginia Opossum in Channel Islands National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–March and October–November, the lowest months.
What time of day is best to see a Virginia Opossum?
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Virginia Opossum sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Is Channel Islands National Park the best place to see a Virginia Opossum?
8th of 9
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Virginia Opossum sightings, Channel Islands National Park ranks 8th at about 10%. The best odds are in Big Cypress National Preserve (United States, about 20%), Point Pelee National Park (Canada, about 20%) and Congaree National Park (United States, about 20%).
Where does the Virginia Opossum sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Virginia Opossum is recorded against all the mammals logged in Channel Islands National Park (10 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
