The orderDidelphimorphia includes only New World marsupials, which are all species of opossums.
Within the orderDidelphimorphia, there are four families, 15 genera and 66 species found from southeastern Canada throughout the eastern US and Mexico, into South America to about 47 degrees S in Argentina (according to Nowak)
Although not all families in the Didelphimorphiaorder have a marsupium, females of the didelphids usually have a distinctive pouch.
Colocolos(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-21)
This is a very small order of opossums containing only one living species known as the colocolo or monito del monte.
At one time they were placed in the orderDidelphimorphia along with the other opossums, but due to several morphological differences were placed in a separate order.
The upper and lower incisors are broader than those of Didelphimorphia, but the dental formula is exactly the same as a family in that order.
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Fossil remains indicate the virginia opossum lived during the Pleistocene Period, in what is referred to as the “Sangamon Interglacial Stage.” The earliest remains were found in South America.
REIG, O. KIRSCH, y L. New conclusions on the relationships of the opossum-like marsupials, with an annotated classification of the Didelphimorphia.
REIG, O. KIRSCH, y L. Systematic relationships of the living and Neocenozoic American opossum-like marsupials (suborder Didelphimorphia), with comments on the classification of these and of the Cretaceous and Paleogene New World and European Metatherians.
VENTURA, J., R. PEREZ-HERNANDEZ, y M. Morphometric assessment of the Monodelphis brevicaudata group (Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae) in Venezuela.
