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 (动物界)	Animalia (动物界)
Phylum same	Chordata (脊索动物门)	Chordata (脊索动物门)
Class same	Mammalia (哺乳動物)	Mammalia (哺乳動物)
Order	Didelphimorphia (负鼠目)	Carnivora (食肉目)
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. (哺乳動物)

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

美洲最大的猫科动物，体重可达100千克，体型粗壮健硕，毛皮具有独特的玫瑰形花纹。分布于墨西哥至南美洲，亚马逊和潘塔纳尔是其主要栖息地。美洲豹是出色的游泳健将和顶级捕食者，在调节猎物种群方面发挥关键作用。由于森林砍伐导致栖息地缩减，被列为近危（NT）物种。

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇻🇪 Venezuela