Origin of The Name
The local name for the water opossum, "yapok", probably comes from the name of the Oyapok River in French Guyana.
The yapok of Central and South America is superbly adapted to a life in water. It has long webbed toes on its hindfeet, water-repellant fur, and a pouch that closes during dives. It hunts its aquatic prey of fish, frogs, crustaceans, and rests in a riverbank den by day.
True opossums are unique to North America alone. The word "opossum" was taken from the native Algonquian word for the animal. Though the yapok, as well as other marsupials in South America and Australia are called "possums", most are not closely related to the Virginia opossum, and only derive their name by a generally similar shape and appearance.
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