Didelphis marsupialis
Silhouette: Sarah Werning · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
The common opossum (Didelphis marsupialis), also called the northern black-eared opossum, is a species of marsupial living from the northeast of Mexico to Bolivia (reaching the coast of the South Pacific Ocean to the central coast of Peru), including Trinidad and Tobago as well as the Windward Islands in the Caribbean, where it is referred to as the manicou. The common opossum prefers forests, but can also be found in fields and cities.
The common opossum is found in tropical and subtropical forest, both primary and secondary, at altitudes of up to 2,200 m (7,200 ft). They use a wide range of nest sites. Most commonly, they will create one in the hollow of a tree; However, they will also dig a burrow or nest in any dark location if nothing else is suitable (which often gets them in trouble with humans). Opossums enjoy denning underground, but do not spend as much time underground during the dry season.
The common opossum is similar in size to a house cat. The fur of the opossum is actually yellow in the under-fur, but is hidden by the longer black guard-hairs that cover it, while the tail, fingers, and face are lighter with the tail being... Wikipedia →
Recording0:06
El Salvador · 2024
© Rodríguez Viky · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lago de Yojoa | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 2 | Masaya Volcano National Park | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | |
| 3 | Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 4 | Soberanía National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 5 | Biotopo Cerro Cahuí | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 6 | Piedras Blancas National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 7 | Palo Verde National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 8 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 9 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 10 | Cahuita National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 11 | Tortuguero National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 12 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 13 | Parque Natural Metropolitano | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 14 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 15 | Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Pedro Sula | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 2 | Manaus | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Cali | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 4 | Guayaquil | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 5 | Medellín | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 6 | Guatemala City | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 7 | Caracas | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | |
| 8 | San José | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 9 | Managua | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | |
| 10 | Panama City | 🇵🇦 Panama |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parque Municipal Summit | 🇵🇦 Panama |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Opossum sighting in Tortuguero National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 18th most-seen of the 19 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.
September
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Common Opossum in Tortuguero National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May–August, October and December–February, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Opossum sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
11th of 15
Of the 15 parks where we can rate Common Opossum sightings, Tortuguero National Park ranks 11th at about 10%. The best odds are in Lago de Yojoa (Honduras, about 30%), Masaya Volcano National Park (Nicaragua, about 20%) and Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park (Honduras, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Opossum is recorded against all the mammals logged in Tortuguero National Park (5 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.
