American Opossum Hybrids
Family Didelphidae
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EUGENE M. MCCARTHY, PHD GENETICS
Chironectes agyrodytes [Salvadoran Water Opossum]
× Chironectes panamensis [Panama Water Opossum] Because probable hybrids were found in Costa Rica, Dickey (1928) lumped two populations (agyrodytes, panamensis) formerly treated as separate species. Both are now usually treated as subspecies of Chironectes minimus.
Chironectes minimus [Water Opossum] See: Chironectes agyrodytes × C. panamensis.
Chironectes panamensis [Panama Water Opossum].
Didelphis albiventris [White-eared Opossum]
× Didelphis marsupialis [Southern Opossum] These very similar opossums have parapatric and altitudinal contact zones in South America, but it seems no hybrids have as yet been reported (although parental types are so similar in their external appearance that hybrids would be hard to identify). In northern South America D. albiventris replaces D. marsupialis above 2000 meters. Eisenberg 1989; Eisenberg and Redford 1999.
Didelphis marsupialis [Southern Opossum]
× Didelphis albiventris [White-eared Opossum] See: Didelphis albiventris × D. marsupialis.
Virginia Opossum(Didelphis virginiana)
Didelphis virginiana [Virginia Opossum]
× Bos taurus [European Domestic Cattle] No such cross has been reliably reported. However, the following notice appeared on page 4, column 2,of the April 27, 1901, issue of The Democratic Advocate, a newspaper published in Westminster, Maryland (source): "A cow belonging to T. C. Stockdale, of Thurmont, Frederick County [Maryland], recently dropped a calf with six ears and an opossum's nose and eyes. The remainder of the calf was natural. The monstrosity was dead when born."
× Felis catus [Domestic Cat] See the separate article: "Domestic Cat × Virginia Opossum."
× Homo sapiens [Human] See the separate article: "A Human-opossum Hybrid?"
× Nasua sp. [Coatimundi] See the separate article: "Virginia Opossum × Coatimundi."
By the same author: Handbook of Avian Hybrids of the World, Oxford University Press (2006).