common dog-violet vs Delicate Slender Opossum

Viola riviniana compared with Marmosops parvidens

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	common dog-violet	Delicate Slender Opossum
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Malpighiales (Malpighiales)	Didelphimorphia (Didelphimorphia)
Family	Violaceae	Didelphidae
Genus	Viola	Marmosops
Species	Viola riviniana	Marmosops parvidens

Conservation Status

common dog-violet

LC — Least Concern

Delicate Slender Opossum

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	common dog-violet	Delicate Slender Opossum
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

common dog-violet

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (7 countries), North America (Canada), and Oceania and the Pacific (Australia).

Delicate Slender Opossum

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in Venezuela.

common dog-violet

<em>Viola riviniana</em>, the common dog-violet, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Violaceae. This species is widely distributed across Europe, including records from seven European countries, as well as Canada and Australia, where it occupies diverse terrestrial habitats such as woodlands, hedgerows, grasslands, and moorlands. The common dog-violet is characterized by its heart-shaped leaves and violet-blue, spurred flowers that typically bloom from spring through early summer. Unlike many violets, its flowers are unscented. <em>Viola riviniana</em> often spreads both by seed and vegetatively via rhizomes, forming patches in suitable habitats. This species is an important larval food plant for several fritillary butterfly species, making it ecologically significant for butterfly conservation in Britain and Europe. It generally favors well-drained, slightly acidic soils in partially shaded environments. The common dog-violet is assessed as Least Concern, with stable populations across most of its range. Its adaptation to a variety of woodland and grassland habitats contributes to its widespread occurrence.