Structure of the paws in Didelphis virginiana.

The paws of Didelphis virginiana show several unusual features. They possess dermatoglyphs on the foot pads, have opposable first digits and the pads show a peculiar vascular arrangement. The hallux lacks a claw. The degree of innervation and the number and size of Pacinian corpuscles indicates that the paws of the opossum are finely sensitive to pressure and vibration.