Common Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum vs Double-crested Cormorant

Thylamys pusillus compared with Phalacrocorax auritus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum	Double-crested Cormorant
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Didelphimorphia (Didelphimorphia)	Suliformes (Suliformes)
Family	Didelphidae	Phalacrocoracidae
Genus	Thylamys	Phalacrocorax
Species	Thylamys pusillus	Phalacrocorax auritus

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum and Double-crested Cormorant share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Common Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum

LC — Least Concern

Double-crested Cormorant

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum	Double-crested Cormorant
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Double-crested Cormorant

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia).

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.

Double-crested Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.