Didelphis virginiana californica

Didelphis virginiana californica, known as the Mexican Virginia opossum, is a subspecies of the Virginia opossum. It occurs through most of Mexico, excluding the Baja desert, much of the Sonoran Desert and part of the Chihuahuan Desert, and through much of Central America as far south as Costa Rica, with documented populations in southern Texas and around Tucson, Arizona. It is likely absent from most of the Yucatan Peninsula, where another subspecies, D. v. yucatanensis, is native. Compared with the nominate subspecies it has a longer tail, a larger dark area at the base of the tail, darker fur including darker legs and feet, dark stripes through the eyes and a much darker face apart from white cheeks. Its white undercoat separates it from Didelphis marsupialis, which has a yellowish one. Like the nominate form it is a solitary, cat-sized marsupial with a pointed snout, small ears and a prehensile tail, and females carry their young in a pouch for about 25 weeks with litters of around 13.