They are North America's only marsupial

The Virginia opossum is a tropical species that has gradually migrated north throughout the course of its evolutionary history. Opossums were widespread in the Southeast of the United States in 1900, but they soon started moving quickly north. They are still pretty widespread now in the Upper Midwest, New England, and Canada. The Virginia opossum population is growing, and it is not thought to be in danger, according to the IUCN.

Although there are other opossum species found in other regions of the world, the Virginia opossum is the only marsupial known to call North America home outside of Mexico. The tiny group of creatures known as marsupials, which also includes kangaroos, wombats, koalas, and opossums, rear their young in a pouch, including these species. According to the Australian Museum, of the more than 330 marsupials in the world, two-thirds reside in Australia and the majority of the remaining one-third do so in South America. The only opossum that dwells in North America and the United States is the Virginia opossum.

The kangaroo, the most well-known marsupial of them all, is one of Australia's pouched creatures. Other well-known species include koalas, Tasmanian devils, wallabies, and wombats. Down Under, opossums come in a variety of species, but they are entirely distinct from those found in North America.