Opossums are a number of small to medium-sized marsupials native to the Americas. Most live in South America with only the Virginia_opossum being native to North America.

"Possum" is a dialectic variant of opossum normally used for the Virginia opossum. It also refers to a number of unrelated marsupials native to Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands and were so named because of their similarity to New World opossums.

Like most marsupials, the males have a forked penis. For convenience, the females also have a forked vagina.

Tagging: Generally speaking, the Virginia opossum is the most likely opossum to be encountered on e621. However, if the animal is one of the Oceania possums, it's best to tag its species as well, eg. Leadbeater's possum or striped possum.

See also:

• mammal
• marsupial
• opossum
• virginia_opossum

More Information:

Opossum (Wikipedia)