Water Opossum
The water opossum or yapok (Chironectes minimus) is the only semi-aquatic marsupial. It lives along forest streams from Mexico to Argentina, hunting for fish and crustaceans.
The water opossum or yapok (Chironectes minimus) is the only semi-aquatic marsupial. It lives along forest streams from Mexico to Argentina, hunting for fish and crustaceans.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Water Opossum in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Mammals lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
A Marsupial That Swims
The hind feet are webbed and the dense fur repels water. The pouch has a muscular rim that seals it tightly, keeping the young dry while the mother dives. The forepaws, sensitive to touch, grope for prey under rocks.
Both Sexes Have a Pouch
In males too the pouch is a sealed fold, which protects the genitals during swimming. This feature is unique among marsupials.
Secretive
The animal is nocturnal and rarely seen, living in burrows in the stream bank. Clean, flowing water is essential, so pollution and dams threaten it. See Platypus.
Water Opossum at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Chironectes minimus |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Didelphimorphia |
| Family | Didelphidae |
| Field Guide group | Mammals: Marsupialia (Metatherians) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Only living semi-aquatic marsupial: webbed hind feet, gray-and-black banded fur, and a watertight pouch that both sexes possess. |
| IUCN Red List status | Least Concern (LC), assessed 2016 |
| Order | Didelphimorphia |
| Habit | Semi-aquatic |