Black-shouldered Opossum vs Scarlet Macaw

Caluromysiops irrupta compared with Ara macao

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black-shouldered Opossum	Scarlet Macaw
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Didelphimorphia (Didelphimorphia)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Didelphidae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Caluromysiops	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Caluromysiops irrupta	Ara macao

Evolutionary Relationship

Black-shouldered Opossum and Scarlet Macaw share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Black-shouldered Opossum

LC — Least Concern

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black-shouldered Opossum	Scarlet Macaw
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	85 cm
Average Weight	—	1.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black-shouldered Opossum

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in Colombia.

Scarlet Macaw

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela). Population trends indicate a declining trajectory in parts of 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.

Scarlet Macaw

One of the most brilliantly colored birds in the Americas, scarlet macaws display vivid red, yellow, and blue plumage with wingspans reaching 1 meter. Found in humid lowland forests from Mexico to Bolivia, they are highly intelligent, long-lived — up to 75 years — and form lifelong pair bonds. They travel long distances to clay licks where they consume mineral-rich soil to detoxify seeds. Listed as Least Concern but locally threatened by habitat loss and the pet trade.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia