Black-shouldered Opossum vs koala

Caluromysiops irrupta compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

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

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black-shouldered Opossum	koala
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (cordados)	Chordata (cordados)
Class same	Mammalia (mamíferos)	Mammalia (mamíferos)
Order	Didelphimorphia (Didelphimorphia)	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)
Family	Didelphidae	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Caluromysiops	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Caluromysiops irrupta	Phascolarctos cinereus

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Black-shouldered Opossum

LC — Least Concern

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black-shouldered Opossum	koala
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	75 cm
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black-shouldered Opossum

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in Colombia.

koala

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.

Range

Found in Australia. 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.

koala

Icónico marsupial del este y sureste de Australia, los koalas pesan hasta 15 kg y pasan hasta 22 horas diarias durmiendo para conservar energía de su dieta de hojas de eucalipto, baja en calorías. Altamente especializados para procesar los compuestos tóxicos del eucalipto que matarían a la mayoría de los demás mamíferos, poseen microbiomas intestinales únicamente adaptados para la desintoxicación. Clasificado como En Peligro en 2022, con poblaciones diezmadas por la enfermedad de clamidia, la deforestación y el cambio climático.