with an adult head-body length of 70 mm and a weight of 10 g. The largest are the two species of bear cuscus, which may exceed 7 kg.

The common name "possum" for various Phalangeriformes species derives from the creatures' resemblance to the opossums of the Americas (the term comes from Powhatan language aposoum "white animal", from Proto-Algonquian