Virginia opossum; North American opossum
Refers specifically to Didelphis virginiana, the common opossum of North America. In Japanese, オポッサム alone can refer to opossums in general, so キタオポッサム clarifies the species.
The Virginia opossum is widely distributed in North America.
The Virginia opossum is famous for playing dead.
Katakana spelling is standard for this loanword animal name; usually written in kana.
Kanji-katakana hybrid spelling; less common but still encountered.
From 北 (north) + オポッサム (opossum), a direct translation of 'North American opossum'.