The opossum is found only in North America. In the United States it is found on the West Coast and in areas east of the Rocky Mountains.
Opossums have a heavy set body that resembles a large house cat.
They have a long head with a pointed snout. Their faces have long whiskers. All opossums have long, tapered tails with a scaly appearance. The color of the opossum varies by the region. Northern populations have thick underfur that is white in color and has black tips.