Common Opossum
Didelphis marsupialis 
Creole name: Stink opossum 
Size: body=35 cm; tail=35 cm; weight=1.5 kg 
Description: Largest opossum: long, coarse, black guard hairs overlay soft yellow or cream underfur, lending an overall mottled, dirty appearance. Ears large, black, and naked. The long tail mostly naked with basal one-third to one-half black, and the tip white. Face and cheeks pale cream or yellowish orange with a blackish line between ears extending to the eyes. Whiskers black. Eyeshine bright reddish. 
Activity: Nocturnal, terrestrial, semi-arboreal. 
Habits: Solitary, omnivorous. It may be seen climbing trees or roaming along on the forest floor and in clearings. This large opossum forages widely, usually on the ground, for a variety of small animals, fruits, carrion, or nearly anything even remotely edible. Usually nests in hollow trees or tangles of vines, but may also den in burrows on or below ground. Commonly raids garbage dumps and will pick bats out of mist nets. 
Habitat: Primary and secondary forest. Also around buildings near forest. 
Signs: Large tracks (50 to 60 mm) with widely splayed, opposable big toe on hind foot clearly visible. Distinctive odour produced by anal scent glands. This opossum is often smelled before it is seen, (hence local name “stink opossum”). If grabbed by the scruff of the neck, it will twirl its tail like a helicopter while urinating and defecating, spraying its foul smelling faeces to deter predators and curious humans. 
Status: Locally common in Iwokrama, although numbers fluctuate between years. 
Distribution in Iwokrama