common opossum vs jaguar

Didelphis marsupialis compared with Panthera onca

Key Differences

• common opossum is Least Concern while jaguar is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	common opossum	jaguar
Kingdom same	Animalia (동물)	Animalia (동물)
Phylum same	Chordata (척삭동물)	Chordata (척삭동물)
Class same	Mammalia (포유류)	Mammalia (포유류)
Order	Didelphimorphia (주머니쥐)	Carnivora (식육목)
Family	Didelphidae	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Didelphis	Panthera (Big Cats)
Species	Didelphis marsupialis	Panthera onca

Evolutionary Relationship

common opossum and jaguar share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (포유류)

Conservation Status

common opossum

LC — Least Concern

jaguar

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~64.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	common opossum	jaguar
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	1.9 m
Average Weight	—	100.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

common opossum

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).

jaguar

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 6 distinct biome types spanning the Neotropic and Oceanian realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

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

common opossum

<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.

jaguar

아메리카 대륙에서 가장 큰 고양잇과 동물로, 체중이 최대 100kg에 달하며 단단하고 근육질의 체형과 특유의 로제트 무늬 털가죽을 지닌다. 멕시코에서 남아메리카까지 분포하며, 아마존과 판타날이 주요 서식지다. 뛰어난 수영 실력을 갖춘 최상위 포식자로, 먹이 개체수 조절에 핵심적 역할을 한다. 산림 벌채로 인해 서식 범위가 줄어들어 준위협종으로 분류된다.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇻🇪 Venezuela