Black-shouldered Opossum vs Cheetah

Caluromysiops irrupta compared with Acinonyx jubatus

Key Differences

• Black-shouldered Opossum is Least Concern while Cheetah is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black-shouldered Opossum	Cheetah
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Didelphimorphia (Didelphimorphia)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Didelphidae	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Caluromysiops	Acinonyx (Cheetahs)
Species	Caluromysiops irrupta	Acinonyx jubatus

Evolutionary Relationship

Black-shouldered Opossum and Cheetah share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

Black-shouldered Opossum

LC — Least Concern

Cheetah

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~6.7K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black-shouldered Opossum	Cheetah
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	12 years
Average Length	—	1.5 m
Average Weight	—	50.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black-shouldered Opossum

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in Colombia.

Cheetah

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 9 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Botswana, Iran, Kenya, Namibia, and Tanzania. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Black-shouldered Opossum

The Black-shouldered Opossum (Caluromysiops irrupta) is a species in the genus Caluromysiops. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Cheetah

The fastest land animal on Earth, reaching speeds of 112 km/h over short distances across African and Iranian grasslands. Slender build with a deep chest, long legs, and distinctive black tear-stripe markings. Unlike other big cats, cheetahs vocalize with chirps and purrs. Vulnerable, with only ~7,000 remaining due to habitat fragmentation and competition with larger predators.