Didelphis virginiana Kerr, 1792 . In Linnaeus, Anim. Kingdom, p. 193.

TYPE LOCALITY: "Virginia, Louisiana, Mexico, Brasil, and Peru;" restricted to Virginia (J. A. Allen, 1901C.160) .

DISTRIBUTION: S Canada; E and C United States (with introduced populations in Pacific states); México; and in Central America south into N Costa Rica.

SYNONYMS: boreoamericana J. A. Allen, 1902 (not available from Oken, 1816); breviceps Bennett, 1833; californica Bennett, 1833; cozumelae Merriam, 1901; illinensium Link, 1795; mesamericana J. A. Allen, 1902 (part; not available from Oken, 1816); pigra Bangs, 1898; pilosissima Link, 1795; pruinosa Wagner, 1843; texensis J. A. Allen, 1901; typica Thomas, 1888 (part); woapink Barton, 1806; yucatanensis J. A. Allen, 1901.

COMMENTS: Revised by Gardner (1973, 1982); reviewed by McManus (1974, Mammalian Species, 40).