Didelphis marsupialis
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English: Common opossum
German: Opposum
French: Opposum commun
Spanish: posum de Amrica, zarigya
Distribution areas
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The common opossum, of which there are
relatively few varieties, is found in North
and South America. The animal inhabits
wooded regions, mainly in the USA and
Mexico.
Description of the fur The cuticular structure
---------------------- of the fine fibres, 2000x
The skin is 35 to 60 cm long; the tail
can measure up to 50 cm. The under-fur is light, nearly white in colour; the
density of fibres is relatively low. The length of the fine fibres is about
20 to 35 mm. The coarser hairs and guard hairs are dark-brown or black in
colour. Some of the guard hairs are white and longer than the others. The fur
on the head is whitish-yellow in colour; the upper part of the head is black.
The belly is yellow-brown; the legs are black.
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Didelphis marsupialis
---------------------
English: Common opossum
German: Opposum
French: Opposum commun
Spanish: posum de Amrica, zarigya
Structure of the hair
---------------------
The microscopic structure of the skin is
furrowed. The hair follicles are narrow
with straight edges, and the average
follicle contains only one hair shaft.
The fine fur fibres are from 18 to 30 µm
in diameter. The cross-sectional outline is The surface structure
circular at the bottom of the shaft but of the skin, 1000x
upper part of some fibres is flat-shaped.
The cuticular scales are petal-like with a smooth surface and straight
margins. The medulla is unbroken, central symmetrical-shaped and relatively
narrow, belonging to the uniserial ladder type. The infilling substance of
the medulla is amorphous in structure.
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Didelphis marsupialis
---------------------
English: Common opossum
German: Opposum
French: Opposum commun
Spanish: posum de Amrica, zarigya
The intermediate fibres have a diameter
of 30 to 50 µm. The cross-section is
flat-shaped with a wide, unbroken medulla.
The cuticular scales are even tile-like
with a smooth surface and straight scale
margins. The medulla is central
symmetrical-shaped, belonging to the loose
uniserial ladder type. The structure of the
infilling medullar substance is amorphous. Transverse section
of a fine fur fibre, 1000x
The guard hairs are circular or ellip-
soidal in cross-section, with a diameter of 50 to 115 µm. The cuticular
scales are of an even tile-like shape with a smooth surface and straight
scale margins. The medulla is wide, unbroken and central symmetrical-shaped
in cross-section. The medullar column is filled with flat sheet-like
particles which are amorphous in structure.
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Didelphis marsupialis
---------------------
English: Common opossum
German: Opposum
French: Opposum commun
Spanish: posum de Amrica, zarigya
The cuticular structure
of a guard hair, 2000x
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|
Didelphis marsupialis
---------------------
English: Common opossum
German: Opposum
French: Opposum commun
Spanish: posum de Amrica, zarigya
Longitudinal section
of a fine fur fibre, 600x
Numerical code for opossum skin structure
-----------------------------------------
Surface of the skin: 3-4-1
Fine fur fibres: 1.3-11-1-1-3-1-1-2-8-18.31-20.35
Intermediate fibres: 3-2-1-1-2-1-1-2-8-30.51-30.41
Guard hairs: 1.2-2-1-1-2-1-1-14-8-50.115-35.55
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