How big does a Gray short-tailed opossum get? Here is an overview over the average adult age:
A grown Gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica) reaches an average size of 14.8 cm (0′ 6″).
When born, they have an average size of 0 cm (0′ 0″). Usually, they reach an age of 6 years. A full-grown exemplary reaches roughly 94 grams (0.21 lbs). Talking about reproduction, Gray short-tailed opossums have 7 babies about 4 times per year. The Gray short-tailed opossum (genus: Monodelphis) is a member of the family Didelphidae.
As a reference: Humans reach an average body size of 1.65m (5′ 5″) while carrying 62 kg (137 lbs). A human woman is pregnant for 280 days (40 weeks) and on average become 75 years old.
The gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica) is a small South American member of the family Didelphidae. Unlike most other marsupials, the gray short-tailed opossum does not have a true pouch. The scientific name Monodelphis is derived from Greek and means “single womb” (referring to the lack of a pouch) and the Latin word domestica which means “domestic” (chosen because of the species’ habit of entering human dwellings). It was the first marsupial to have its genome sequenced. The gray short-tailed opossum is used as a research model in science, and is also frequently found in the exotic pet trade. It is also known as the Brazilian opossum, rainforest opossum and in a research setting the laboratory opossum.
Animals of the same family as a Gray short-tailed opossum
We found other animals of the Didelphidae family:
- White-bellied fat-tailed mouse opossum with a size of 8.5 cm (0′ 4″)
- Emilia’s short-tailed opossum with a size of 13.4 cm (0′ 6″)
- Wood sprite gracile opossum with a size of 9.5 cm (0′ 4″)
- Grayish mouse opossum with 8 babies per litter
- Dwarf fat-tailed mouse opossum with a size of 11.3 cm (0′ 5″)
- White-eared opossum with a size of 36 cm (1′ 3″)
- One-striped opossum with a size of 13.7 cm (0′ 6″)
- Gray four-eyed opossum with a size of 26.5 cm (0′ 11″)
- Elegant fat-tailed mouse opossum with a size of 12 cm (0′ 5″)
- Virginia opossum with 8 babies per litter
Animals with the same size as a Gray short-tailed opossum
Not that size really matters, but it makes things comparable. So here are a couple of animals that are as big as Gray short-tailed opossum:
- Lewis’s tuco-tuco with a size of 17.7 cm (0′ 7″)
- Long-eared chipmunk with a size of 14 cm (0′ 6″)
- Baird’s pocket gopher with a size of 15 cm (0′ 6″)
- Ladak pika with a size of 17.7 cm (0′ 7″)
- Broad-toothed mouse with a size of 16.6 cm (0′ 7″)
- Gray-collared chipmunk with a size of 12.8 cm (0′ 6″)
- Biak naked-backed fruit bat with a size of 16.4 cm (0′ 7″)
- Tschudi’s slender opossum with a size of 13.1 cm (0′ 6″)
- Polynesian rat with a size of 11.9 cm (0′ 5″)
- Hairy-eared dwarf lemur with a size of 13.3 cm (0′ 6″)
Animals with the same litter size as a Gray short-tailed opossum
Here is a list of animals that have the same number of babies per litter (7) as a Gray short-tailed opossum:
- Sakhalin vole
- Steppe polecat
- Drylands vesper mouse
- Ooldea dunnart
- Red-tailed phascogale
- Red-cheeked ground squirrel
- Prairie shrew
- Stripe-faced dunnart
- Northern red-sided opossum
- Common planigale
Animals with the same life expectancy as a Gray short-tailed opossum
Completely different animals, but becoming as old as a Gray short-tailed opossum:
- Hairy-tailed mole with an average maximal age of 5 years
- Woodland dormouse with an average maximal age of 5.75 years
- Spectral bat with an average maximal age of 6.5 years
- Serotine bat with an average maximal age of 6 years
- Spinifex hopping mouse with an average maximal age of 5.17 years
- Sumichrast’s vesper rat with an average maximal age of 5.17 years
- Mongolian gazelle with an average maximal age of 7 years
- Arctic hare with an average maximal age of 7 years
- Northern grasshopper mouse with an average maximal age of 5 years
- Black-tailed jackrabbit with an average maximal age of 6.75 years
Animals with the same weight as a Gray short-tailed opossum
As a comparison, here are some other animals that weight as much as the Monodelphis domestica:
- Peters’s epauletted fruit bat bringing 95 grams to the scale
- Southern mole vole bringing 80 grams to the scale
- Plain brush-tailed rat bringing 105 grams to the scale
- Whiskered flying squirrel bringing 108 grams to the scale
- Rough-haired golden mole bringing 112 grams to the scale
- Big-eared woolly bat bringing 78 grams to the scale
- Long-footed water rat bringing 83 grams to the scale
- Asian garden dormouse bringing 100 grams to the scale
- Bougainville mosaic-tailed rat bringing 86 grams to the scale
- Spotted ground squirrel bringing 107 grams to the scale