Bastard Catclaw vs Common Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum

Microgramma lycopodioides compared with Thylamys pusillus

Key Differences

• Bastard Catclaw is Not Evaluated while Common Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bastard Catclaw	Common Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Tracheophyta	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Polypodiales (Polypodiales)	Didelphimorphia (Didelphimorphia)
Family	Polypodiaceae	Didelphidae
Genus	Microgramma	Thylamys
Species	Microgramma lycopodioides	Thylamys pusillus

Conservation Status

Bastard Catclaw

NE — Not Evaluated

Common Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bastard Catclaw	Common Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bastard Catclaw

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Range

Distributed across Brazil, Colombia, and Cuba.

Common Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Bastard Catclaw

The Bastard Catclaw (Microgramma lycopodioides) is a species in the genus Microgramma. Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies. Its range includes Brazil, Colombia, and Cuba.

Common Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum

The Common Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum (<em>Thylamys pusillus</em>) is a small marsupial belonging to the genus Thylamys within the family Didelphidae. Like other members of its genus, this species typically stores fat in its tail, which becomes swollen during periods of food abundance and is metabolised during leaner times, a physiological adaptation that provides energy reserves. <em>Thylamys pusillus</em> is generally found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, often in dry woodlands, scrublands, and grassland habitats of South America. The species is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating it is not currently considered at risk of extinction. Detailed geographic range data are not available in the current record, but members of this genus are typically distributed across parts of Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Biological traits including average lifespan, body dimensions, and specific dietary composition remain poorly documented in the scientific literature, though Thylamys species are generally considered omnivorous, often consuming insects, small vertebrates, and plant material.