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The average estrous cycle of the Virginia opossum is about 28 days. [30] Opossums do possess a placenta, [31] but it is short-lived, simple in structure, and, unlike that of placental mammals, not fully functional. [32]
The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), ... Gestation lasts 11–13 days and the average litter size is 8–9 infants, although over 20 infants may be born. [42]
They have a variety of sizes, shapes, and fur patterns, and range in size from the 6 cm (2 in) (plus 9 cm (4 in) tail) Kalinowski's mouse opossum to the 55 cm (22 in) (plus 54 cm (21 in) tail) Virginia opossum. Didelphimorphs are primarily found in forests, as well as savannas, shrublands, and grasslands.
The common opossum (Didelphis marsupialis), also called the southern or black-eared opossum [2] or gambá, and sometimes called a possum, is a marsupial species 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 and the Windwards in the Caribbean, [2] where it is called manicou. [3]
Derby's woolly opossum is the largest in its genus, with a total length of 60 to 70 centimetres (24 to 28 in) and weight between 200 and 400 grams (7.1 and 14.1 oz). The coat is brown and the underside white-buff to golden-brown. The opossum is nocturnal (active mainly at night), arboreal (tree-living) and solitary.
The average gestation period for the gray four-eyed opossum is 13 to 14 days, and each newborn weighs about 9 grams (0.32 oz). [5] They nurse in their mother's pouch until they are 68 to 75 days old. [5] Once weaned, they stay in their mother's nest for a further 8 to 15 days before their mother becomes aggressive and expels them. [5]
Virginia opossums can vary considerably in size, with larger specimens found to the north of the opossum's range and smaller specimens in the tropics. They measure 13–37 inches (35–94 cm ) long from their snout to the base of the tail, with the tail adding another 8.5–19 inches (21.6–47 cm ).
Gray short-tailed opossums are relatively small animals, with a superficial resemblance to voles.In the wild they have head-body length of 12 to 18 cm (4.7 to 7.1 in) and weigh 58 to 95 grams (2.0 to 3.4 oz); males are larger than females. [5]