Tlacuache sureño vs paletón, terlaque andino

Didelphis marsupialis compared with Andigena hypoglauca

Key Differences

• Tlacuache sureño is Least Concern while paletón, terlaque andino is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Tlacuache sureño	paletón, terlaque andino
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (cordados)	Chordata (cordados)
Class	Mammalia (mamíferos)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Didelphimorphia (Didelphimorphia)	Piciformes (Piciformes)
Family	Didelphidae	Ramphastidae
Genus	Didelphis	Andigena
Species	Didelphis marsupialis	Andigena hypoglauca

Evolutionary Relationship

Tlacuache sureño and paletón, terlaque andino share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (cordados)

Conservation Status

Tlacuache sureño

LC — Least Concern

paletón, terlaque andino

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Tlacuache sureño	paletón, terlaque andino
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Tlacuache sureño

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).

paletón, terlaque andino

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, and Norway. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Tlacuache sureño

<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.

paletón, terlaque andino

El Tucán Andino Pechigris (Andigena hypoglauca) está clasificado como Casi Amenazado (NT) en la Lista Roja de la UICN. Cerca de calificar como amenazado, con poblaciones que pueden volverse vulnerables sin acciones de conservación.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇪🇨 Ecuador