It is hard to guess what a Ground cuscus weights. But we have the answer:
An adult Ground cuscus (Phalanger gymnotis) on average weights 2.6 kg (5.73 lbs).
The Ground cuscus is from the family Phalangeridae (genus: Phalanger). They can live for up to 12 years. When reaching adult age, they grow up to 45.3 cm (1′ 6″). Usually, Ground cuscuss have 1 babies per litter.
As a reference: An average human weights in at 62 kg (137 lbs) and reaches an average size of 1.65m (5′ 5″). Humans spend 280 days (40 weeks) in the womb of their mother and reach around 75 years of age.
The ground cuscus (Phalanger gymnotis) is a marsupial from the order Diprotodontia and belongs within the family Phalangeridae, a diverse family consisting of the other cuscus species and the brushtail possums (Trichosurus spp.) and the scaly-tailed possum (Wyulda squamicaudata).
Animals of the same family as a Ground cuscus
We found other animals of the Phalangeridae family:
- Black-spotted cuscus bringing 6 kilos (13.23 lbs) to the scale
- Northern brushtail possum bringing 1.55 kilos (3.42 lbs) to the scale
- Eastern common cuscus bringing 1.75 kilos (3.86 lbs) to the scale
- Scaly-tailed possum bringing 1.81 kilos (3.99 lbs) to the scale
- Stein’s cuscus bringing 1.85 kilos (4.08 lbs) to the scale
- Short-eared possum bringing 3.13 kilos (6.9 lbs) to the scale
- Rothschild’s cuscus bringing 1.37 kilos (3.02 lbs) to the scale
- Ornate cuscus bringing 1.79 kilos (3.95 lbs) to the scale
- Common brushtail possum bringing 2.69 kilos (5.93 lbs) to the scale
- Ground cuscus bringing 2.61 kilos (5.75 lbs) to the scale
Animals with the same weight as a Ground cuscus
As a comparison, here are some other animals that weight as much as the Phalanger gymnotis:
- American hog-nosed skunk with a weight of 2.58 kilos (5.69 lbs)
- Central American agouti with a weight of 2.31 kilos (5.09 lbs)
- Kalinowski’s agouti with a weight of 2.65 kilos (5.84 lbs)
- Tufted capuchin with a weight of 2.76 kilos (6.08 lbs)
- Meller’s mongoose with a weight of 2.24 kilos (4.94 lbs)
- Black-footed mongoose with a weight of 2.62 kilos (5.78 lbs)
- South African springhare with a weight of 2.55 kilos (5.62 lbs)
- Ground cuscus with a weight of 2.61 kilos (5.75 lbs)
- Colombian white-faced capuchin with a weight of 3.01 kilos (6.64 lbs)
- Johnston’s genet with a weight of 2.23 kilos (4.92 lbs)
Animals with the same size as a Ground cuscus
Not that size really matters, but it makes things comparable. So here are a couple of animals that are as big as Ground cuscus:
- Pale fox with a size of 43 cm (1′ 5″)
- Indian grey mongoose with a size of 40 cm (1′ 4″)
- Island fox with a size of 47.2 cm (1′ 7″)
- Black-tailed jackrabbit with a size of 48.4 cm (1′ 8″)
- Long-tailed porcupine with a size of 41.5 cm (1′ 5″)
- Aquatic genet with a size of 45.8 cm (1′ 7″)
- American marten with a size of 38.2 cm (1′ 4″)
- Rio Tapajós saki with a size of 39.9 cm (1′ 4″)
- Pagai Island macaque with a size of 45 cm (1′ 6″)
- Manzano Mountain cottontail with a size of 38.5 cm (1′ 4″)
Animals with the same litter size as a Ground cuscus
Here is a list of animals that have the same number of babies per litter (1) as a Ground cuscus:
- Northern plains gray langur
- Ryukyu flying fox
- Guatemalan black howler
- Spectacled hare-wallaby
- Spectacled bear
- Mexican free-tailed bat
- Chacma baboon
- Fischer’s pygmy fruit bat
- Gray whale
- Moor macaque
Animals with the same life expectancy as a Ground cuscus
Completely different animals, but becoming as old as a Ground cuscus:
- Jungle cat with an average maximal age of 12 years
- Common bent-wing bat with an average maximal age of 14 years
- Prince Demidoff’s bushbaby with an average maximal age of 14 years
- Pudú with an average maximal age of 12.5 years
- Southern tree hyrax with an average maximal age of 10 years
- Taruca with an average maximal age of 10.58 years
- Bush dog with an average maximal age of 10.33 years
- Parma wallaby with an average maximal age of 10 years
- Complex-toothed flying squirrel with an average maximal age of 12 years
- Giant otter with an average maximal age of 12.83 years