grand dauphin, souffleur, dauphin à gros nez vs Petit opossum-souris

Tursiops truncatus compared with Thylamys pusillus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	grand dauphin, souffleur, dauphin à gros nez	Petit opossum-souris
Kingdom same	Animalia (animal)	Animalia (animal)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (mammifères)	Mammalia (mammifères)
Order	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)	Didelphimorphia (Didelphimorphia)
Family	Delphinidae (Oceanic Dolphins)	Didelphidae
Genus	Tursiops (Bottlenose Dolphins)	Thylamys
Species	Tursiops truncatus	Thylamys pusillus

Evolutionary Relationship

grand dauphin, souffleur, dauphin à gros nez and Petit opossum-souris share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (mammifères)

Conservation Status

grand dauphin, souffleur, dauphin à gros nez

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~600.0K

Trend: Stable →

Petit opossum-souris

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	grand dauphin, souffleur, dauphin à gros nez	Petit opossum-souris
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	45 years	—
Average Length	3.0 m	—
Average Weight	300.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

grand dauphin, souffleur, dauphin à gros nez

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 12 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (6 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

Petit opossum-souris

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

grand dauphin, souffleur, dauphin à gros nez

The most studied and recognized dolphin species, bottlenose dolphins inhabit warm and temperate oceans worldwide, from coastal shallows to the open sea. Highly intelligent with large brains relative to body size, they demonstrate self-recognition, complex communication, and social learning. They live in fluid fission-fusion societies and cooperate to herd fish. A keystone indicator species for marine ecosystem health.

Petit opossum-souris

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.