 Opossums originated in South America and entered North America in the Great American Interchange following the connection of the two continents.Their unspecialized biology, flexible diet, and reproductive habits make them successful colonizers and survivors in diverse locations and conditions.In the United States and Canada, the only species found is the Virginia opossum, and it is usually simply referred to as an "opossum" but some regional dialects shorten this further to "possum", but should not be confused with the suborder Phalangeriformes, which are arboreal marsupials in the Eastern Hemisphere that are also called "possums" because of their resemblance to the Didelphimorphia.