Virginia Opossum
Virginia OpossumVirginia OpossumVirginia OpossumVirginia Opossum

Virginia Opossum

Didelphis virginiana

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
5–10% · With luck
overall probability at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
26 Verified records at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
September Best month highest sighting rate
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's active Active throughout day and night

The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), also known as the North American opossum, is a member of the opossum family found from southern Canada to northern Costa Rica, making it the northernmost marsupial in the world. Commonly referred to simply as the possum, it is a solitary nocturnal animal about the size of a domestic cat, and a successful opportunist. Opossums are familiar to many North Americans as they frequently inhabit settled areas near food sources like trash cans, pet food, compost piles, gardens or housemice. Their slow, nocturnal nature and their attraction to roadside carrion make opossums more likely to become roadkill than other animals in their range. Wikipedia →

5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Virginia Opossum sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, based on 26 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

📅 Monthly Probability

10–20
Jan
<5
Feb
10–20
Mar
<5
Apr
5–10
May
<5
Jun
5–10
Jul
5–10
Aug
10–20
Sep
<5
Oct
10–20
Nov
<5
Dec

☀️🌙 When They're Spotted

Active throughout day and night · across all parks (global)

☀️🌙Day & Night
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
2 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
3 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
10–20%
4 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
5 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
6 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
7 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
8 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
9 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
5–10%
10 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
11 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
12 Masaya Volcano National Park 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
Insufficient data
13 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
14 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
15 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
16 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
17 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
18 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
19 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
20 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
21 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
22 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
23 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
24 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Virginia Opossum in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

About 8% of wildlife watchers report a Virginia Opossum sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, based on 26 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Virginia Opossum in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

September has the highest sighting rate for Virginia Opossum in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in our monthly data.

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