The hair on the face is short and white and the snout is pointed. The ears of the opossum are short, leathery, and unfurred, black at the base with pinkish-white tips. The tail is long and scaly with only a few scattered hairs, also colored black at the base and pinkish-white elsewhere. The legs of the opossum are short and the front feet are quite dexterous, allowing the opossum to grasp and hold food in its front paws. The hind feet sport a thumb-like opposable toe without a claw.
Female opossums have a fur-lined pouch located on the underside of the abdomen.
The underside of the adult male opossum's neck is stained yellow from a gland located beneath the skin. The opossum is found throughout most of the eastern United States and has expanded its range to the north and to the west. It is very common throughout most of its range and is an extremely adaptable animal, often living in very close proximity to man. Its preferred habitat is forested areas, preferably close to water. It is a nocturnal mammal feeding on a wide variety of items including fruits, berries, and other plants, insects, earthworms, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and small mammals.