The Didelphinae are a subfamily of opossums consisting of 15 genera and 123 species. Specimens have been collected throughout the Americas, but are predominant in South and Central America. Some sources call this subfamily the "American opossums", while others use that term for the whole family of opossums, Didelphidae. The term may be redundant, though, since all opossums are native to the Americas, while their distant Australian taxonomic relatives, in the suborder

Phalangeriformes Phalangeriformes is a paraphyletic suborder of about 70 species of small to medium-sized arboreal marsupials native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi. The species are commonly known as possums, gliders, and cuscus. The common name "possum ...

are referred to as possums in Australia.

Classification

* Subfamily Didelphinae ** Genus ''

Chacodelphys The Chacoan pygmy opossum (''Chacodelphys formosa'') is a recently described genus and species of didelphimorph marsupial. The only species in ''Chacodelphys'', ''C. formosa'', was known until 2004 from only one specimen collected in 1920 in the ...

'' *** '' C. formosa'' - Chacoan pygmy opossum ** Genus ''

Chironectes The water opossum (''Chironectes minimus''), also locally known as the yapok (), is a marsupial of the family Didelphidae.* It is the only living member of its genus, ''Chironectes''. This semiaquatic creature is found in and near freshwater ...

'' *** '' C. minimus'' - water opossum ** Genus ''

Cryptonanus ''Cryptonanus'' is a genus of opossums from South America. It includes five species found from Bolivia to Uruguay and eastern Brazil, one of which is now extinct. Although the first species were discovered in 1931, the genus was not recognized ...

'' *** '' C. agricolai'' - Agricola's gracile opossum *** '' C. chacoensis'' - Chacoan gracile opossum *** '' C. guahybae'' - Guahiba gracile opossum *** †'' C. ignitus'' - red-bellied gracile opossum *** '' C. unduaviensis'' - Unduavi gracile opossum ** Genus ''

Didelphis ''Didelphis'' is a genus of New World marsupials. The six species in the genus ''Didelphis'', commonly known as Large American opossums, are members of the ''opossum'' order, Didelphimorphia. The genus ''Didelphis'' is composed of cat-sized om ...

'' *** '' D. albiventris'' - white-eared opossum *** '' D. aurita'' - big-eared opossum *** '' D. imperfecta'' - Guianan white-eared opossum *** '' D. marsupialis'' - common opossum *** '' D. pernigra'' - Andean white-eared opossum *** '' D. virginiana'' - Virginia opossum ** Genus ''

Gracilinanus ''Gracilinanus'' is a genus of opossum in the family Didelphidae. It was separated from the genus ''Marmosa The 27 species in the genus ''Marmosa'' are relatively small Neotropical members of the family Didelphidae. This genus is one of t ...

'' *** '' G. aceramarcae'' - Aceramarca gracile opossum *** '' G. agilis'' - agile gracile opossum *** '' G. dryas'' - wood sprite gracile opossum *** '' G. emilae'' - Emilia's gracile opossum *** '' G. marica'' - northern gracile opossum *** '' G. microtarsus'' - Brazilian gracile opossum ***'' G. peruanus'' - Peruvian opossum ** Genus '' Lestodelphys'' *** '' L. halli'' - Patagonian opossum ** Genus ''

Lutreolina ''Lutreolina'' is a genus of opossum found in South America. Both extant species in this genus are known as lutrine opossums. They have an otter-like body plan and occasionally semiaquatic tendencies, hence the genus name ''Lutreolina'', which is ...

'' *** '' L. crassicaudata'' - big lutrine opossum *** '' L. massoia'' - Massoia's lutrine opossum Juan A. Martínez-Lanfranco , David Flores , J. Pablo Jayat , and Guillermo D'Elía, A new species of lutrine opossum, genus Lutreolina Thomas (Didelphidae), from the South American Yungas, Source: Journal of Mammalogy, 95(2):225-240. 2014. ** Genus ''

Marmosa The 27 species in the genus ''Marmosa'' are relatively small Neotropical members of the family Didelphidae. This genus is one of three that are known as mouse opossums. The others are '' Thylamys'' (the "fat-tailed mouse opossums") and '' Tlacua ...

'' *** Subgenus ''Marmosa'' **** '' M. andersoni'' - heavy-browed mouse opossum **** '' M. isthmica'' - isthmian mouse opossum **** '' M. lepida'' - rufous mouse opossum **** '' M. mexicana'' - Mexican mouse opossum **** '' M. murina'' - Linnaeus's mouse opossum **** '' M. quichua'' - Quechuan mouse opossum **** '' M. robinsoni'' - Robinson's mouse opossum **** '' M. rubra'' - red mouse opossum **** '' M. simonsi'' - Simon's mouse opossum **** '' M. tyleriana'' - Tyler's mouse opossum **** '' M. waterhousei'' - Waterhouse's mouse opossum **** '' M. xerophila'' - Guajira mouse opossum **** '' M. zeledoni'' - Zeledon's mouse opossum *** Subgenus ''Micoureus'' **** '' M. alstoni'' - Alston's woolly mouse opossum **** '' M. constantiae'' - white-bellied woolly mouse opossum **** '' M. demerarae'' - northeastern woolly mouse opossum ****'' M. germana'' - northwestern woolly mouse opossum ****'' M. jansae'' - Jansa's woolly mouse opossum ****'' M. limae'' - Brazilian woolly mouse opossum ****'' M. meridae'' - Merida woolly mouse opossum **** '' M. paraguayanus'' - Tate's woolly mouse opossum ****'' M. parda'' - Peruvian woolly mouse opossum ****'' M. perplexa'' - Anthony's woolly mouse opossum **** '' M. phaeus'' - little woolly mouse opossum ****'' M. rapposa'' - Bolivian woolly mouse opossum **** '' M. rutteri'' - bare-tailed woolly mouse opossum ** Genus ''

Marmosops ''Marmosops'' is a genus of Neotropical opossums of the family Didelphidae. The genus was originally treated as a subgenus from the genus ''Marmosa'' rather than having their own classification. This was changed in 1989 by Gardner and Crieghto ...

'' *** '' M. bishopi'' - Bishop's slender opossum ***'' M. carri'' - Carr's slender opossum ***'' M. caucae'' - Tschudi's slender opossum ***'' M. chucha'' - Cordillera slender opossum *** '' M. cracens'' - narrow-headed slender opossum *** '' M. creightoni'' - Creighton's slender opossum *** '' M. fuscatus'' - dusky slender opossum *** '' M. handleyi'' - Handley's slender opossum *** '' M. impavidus'' - Tschudi's slender opossum *** '' M. incanus'' - gray slender opossum *** '' M. invictus'' - Panama slender opossum *** '' M. juninensis'' - Junin slender opossum ***'' M. magdalenae'' - Río Magdalena slender opossum ***'' M. marina'' - Silva's slender opossum *** '' M. neblina'' - Neblina slender opossum *** '' M. noctivagus'' - white-bellied slender opossum *** '' M. ocellatus'' - Dorothy's slender opossum ***'' M. ojastii'' - Ojasti's slender opossum ***'' M. pakaraimae'' - pantepui slender opossum *** '' M. parvidens'' - delicate slender opossum *** '' M. paulensis'' - Brazilian slender opossum *** '' M. pinheiroi'' - Pinheiro's slender opossum ***'' M. soinii'' - Soini's slender opossum ***'' M. woodalli'' - Woodall's slender opossum ** Genus '' Metachirus'' *** '' M. myosuros'' - common brown four-eyed opossum ***'' M. nudicaudatus'' - Guianan brown four-eyed opossum ** Genus ''

Monodelphis ''Monodelphis'' is a genus of marsupials in the family Didelphidae, commonly referred to as short-tailed opossums. They are found throughout South America. , the most recently described species is ''M. vossi''. Species * Sepia short-tailed ...

'' *** '' M. adusta'' - sepia short-tailed opossum *** '' M. americana'' - northern three-striped opossum ***'' M. arlindoi'' - Arlindo's short-tailed opossum *** '' M. brevicaudata'' - northern red-sided opossum *** '' M. dimidiata'' - yellow-sided opossum *** '' M. domestica'' - gray short-tailed opossum *** '' M. emiliae'' - Emilia's short-tailed opossum ***'' M. gardneri'' - Gardner's short-tailed opossum *** '' M. glirina'' - Amazonian red-sided opossum ***'' M. handleyi'' - Handley's short-tailed opossum *** '' M. iheringi'' - Ihering's three-striped opossum *** '' M. kunsi'' - pygmy short-tailed opossum *** '' M. maraxina'' - Marajó short-tailed opossum *** '' M. osgoodi'' - Osgood's short-tailed opossum *** '' M. palliolata'' - hooded red-sided opossum ***'' M. peruviana'' - Peruvian short-tailed opossum ***'' M. pinocchio'' - long-nosed short-tailed opossum *** '' M. reigi'' - Reig's opossum *** '' M. ronaldi'' - Ronald's opossum *** '' M. rubida'' - chestnut-striped opossum ***'' M. saci'' - Saci short-tailed opossum ***'' M. sanctaerosae'' - Santa Rosa short-tailed opossum *** '' M. scalops'' - long-nosed short-tailed opossum *** '' M. sorex'' - southern red-sided opossum *** '' M. theresa'' - southern three-striped opossum ***'' M. touan'' - Touan short-tailed opossum *** '' M. umbristriata'' - red three-striped opossum *** '' M. unistriata'' - one-striped opossum ***'' M. vossi'' - Voss's short-tailed opossum ** Genus '' Philander'' *** '' P. andersoni'' - Anderson's four-eyed opossum ***'' P. canus'' - common four-eyed opossum *** '' P. deltae'' - Deltaic four-eyed opossum *** '' P. frenatus'' - southeastern four-eyed opossum *** '' P. mcilhennyi'' - McIlhenny's four-eyed opossum ***'' P. melanurus'' - dark four-eyed opossum *** '' P. mondolfii'' - Mondolfi's four-eyed opossum ***'' P. nigratus'' - black four-eyed opossum *** '' P. olrogi'' - Olrog's four-eyed opossum *** '' P. opossum'' - gray four-eyed opossum ***'' P. pebas'' - Pebas four-eyed opossum ***'' P. vossi'' - northern four-eyed opossum ** Genus ''

Thylamys ''Thylamys'' is a genus of opossums in the family Didelphidae. The premaxillae are rounded rather than pointed. The females lack a pouch. The females' nipples are arranged in two symmetrical rows on the abdomen. All species but ''T. macrurus'' ...

'' *** '' T. cinderella'' - Cinderella fat-tailed mouse opossum *** '' T. citellus'' - Mesopotamian fat-tailed mouse opossum *** '' T. elegans'' - elegant fat-tailed mouse opossum *** '' T. karimii'' - Karimi's fat-tailed mouse opossum *** '' T. macrurus'' - Paraguayan fat-tailed mouse opossum *** '' T. pallidior'' - white-bellied fat-tailed mouse opossum *** '' T. pulchellus'' - Dry Chaco fat-tailed mouse opossum *** '' T. pusillus'' - Chacoan fat-tailed mouse opossum *** '' T. sponsorius'' - Argentine fat-tailed mouse opossum *** '' T. tatei'' - Tate's fat-tailed mouse opossum *** '' T. velutinus'' - dwarf fat-tailed mouse opossum *** '' T. venustus'' - buff-bellied fat-tailed mouse opossum ** Genus '' Tlacuatzin'' *** '' T. balsasensis'' - Balsas gray mouse opossum ***'' T. canescens'' - Tehuantepec gray mouse opossum ***'' T. gaumeri'' - Yucatan gray mouse opossum ***'' T. insularis'' - Tres Marías gray mouse opossum ***'' T. sinaloae'' - northern gray mouse opossum * Extinct genera: ** '' Andinodelphys'' - Marshall & de Muizon, 1988 (†) ** '' Coona'' - Simpson, 1938 (†) ** '' Incadelphys'' - Marshall & de Muizon, 1988 (†) ** '' Itaboraidelphys'' - Marshall & de Muizon, 1984 (†) ** '' Marmosopsis'' - Paula Couto, 1962 (†) ** '' Mizquedelphys'' - Marshall & de Muizon, 1988 (†) ** '' Thylophorops'' - Reig, 1952 (†) ** '' Thylatheridium'' - Reig, 1952 (†) ** '' Zygolestes'' - Ameghino, 1898 (†)

Classification

References

Further reading