Chestnut dunnart vs common opossum

Sminthopsis archeri compared with Didelphis marsupialis

Key Differences

• Chestnut dunnart is Data Deficient while common opossum is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Chestnut dunnart	common opossum
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Dasyuromorphia (Dasyuromorphia)	Didelphimorphia (Didelphimorphia)
Family	Dasyuridae	Didelphidae
Genus	Sminthopsis	Didelphis
Species	Sminthopsis archeri	Didelphis marsupialis

Evolutionary Relationship

Chestnut dunnart and common opossum share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

Chestnut dunnart

DD — Data Deficient

common opossum

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Chestnut dunnart	common opossum
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Chestnut dunnart

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

common opossum

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Found across North America (Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia) and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

Chestnut dunnart

The Chestnut dunnart (Sminthopsis archeri) is a species in the genus Sminthopsis. It is currently classified as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

common opossum

<em>Didelphis marsupialis</em> is a medium-sized marsupial in the family Didelphidae, widely distributed across the Neotropical region, including Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Dominica, Grenada, and Saint Lucia. It inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, often occurring near human settlements, gardens, and agricultural edges across lowland and montane zones. As a generalist omnivore, this species typically consumes fruits, invertebrates, small vertebrates, carrion, and refuse, making it one of the most adaptable mammals in its range. The common opossum is nocturnal and arboreal, using a prehensile tail for balance and grip while foraging in trees and shrubs. Females give birth to highly altricial young that develop in the marsupium, a defining trait of marsupial reproduction. The IUCN currently classifies this species as Least Concern, reflecting its broad distribution, behavioral flexibility, and tolerance of disturbed habitats. Biological traits such as average lifespan, body length, and body weight are not consistently recorded across populations in standardized databases, and detailed dietary studies remain poorly documented at scale. Its ecological role includes seed dispersal and control of invertebrate populations.