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

Icônico marsupial do leste e sudeste da Austrália, os coalas pesam até 15 kg e passam até 22 horas diárias dormindo para conservar energia de sua dieta de folhas de eucalipto, com baixo teor calórico. Altamente especializados para processar os compostos tóxicos do eucalipto que matariam a maioria dos outros mamíferos, possuem microbiomas intestinais unicamente adaptados para a destoxificação. Classificado como Em Perigo em 2022, com populações dizimadas pela doença de clamídia, desmatamento e mudanças climáticas.