How big does a Pygmy short-tailed opossum get? Here is an overview over the average adult age:
A grown Pygmy short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis kunsi) reaches an average size of 7 cm (0′ 3″).
When born, they have an average size of 0 cm (0′ 0″). A full-grown exemplary reaches roughly 11 grams (0.02 lbs). The Pygmy 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 pygmy short-tailed opossum, scientifically named Monodelphis kunsi, is an opossum species from South America. M. kunsi is a marsupial from the family Didelphidae of the order Didelphimorphia. Although it is a marsupial, it lacks the characteristic pouch that is often associated with this order. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay. M. kunsi is considered a smaller species within the family Didelphidae, which is why it is named a pygmy opossum. The young are referred to as ‘joeys’. The females are referred to as ‘Jill,’ and the males ‘jack’. It was thought to have been endangered in 2001, but has since been moved to least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Animals of the same family as a Pygmy short-tailed opossum
We found other animals of the Didelphidae family:
- Paraguayan fat-tailed mouse opossum with a size of 12.7 cm (0′ 5″)
- Aceramarca gracile opossum with a size of 8.3 cm (0′ 4″)
- Common fat-tailed mouse opossum with a size of 9.4 cm (0′ 4″)
- Brazilian gracile opossum with a size of 9.1 cm (0′ 4″)
- Panama slender opossum with a size of 11.1 cm (0′ 5″)
- Tschudi’s slender opossum with a size of 13.1 cm (0′ 6″)
- Anderson’s four-eyed opossum with an average maximal age of 0.75 years
- Tyler’s mouse opossum with a size of 11.9 cm (0′ 5″)
- Southern red-sided opossum with a size of 7.2 cm (0′ 3″)
- Common fat-tailed mouse opossum with a size of 9.4 cm (0′ 4″)
Animals with the same size as a Pygmy 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 Pygmy short-tailed opossum:
- Northern groove-toothed shrew mouse with a size of 8.1 cm (0′ 4″)
- Saharan shrew with a size of 6.3 cm (0′ 3″)
- Common shrew with a size of 7.3 cm (0′ 3″)
- Desert dormouse with a size of 8.4 cm (0′ 4″)
- Wagner’s gerbil with a size of 8.3 cm (0′ 4″)
- Saint Lawrence Island shrew with a size of 6.3 cm (0′ 3″)
- Cinereus shrew with a size of 5.7 cm (0′ 3″)
- Tailed tailless bat with a size of 5.8 cm (0′ 3″)
- Delicate vesper mouse with a size of 6.9 cm (0′ 3″)
- San Diego pocket mouse with a size of 8.3 cm (0′ 4″)
Animals with the same weight as a Pygmy short-tailed opossum
As a comparison, here are some other animals that weight as much as the Monodelphis kunsi:
- Common bent-wing bat bringing 11 grams to the scale
- Western broad-nosed bat bringing 11 grams to the scale
- African sheath-tailed bat bringing 10 grams to the scale
- Pacific shrew bringing 10 grams to the scale
- Feathertail glider bringing 13 grams to the scale
- Molossops planirostris bringing 12 grams to the scale
- Bechstein’s bat bringing 9 grams to the scale
- Coastal sheath-tailed bat bringing 12 grams to the scale
- Myosorex varius bringing 11 grams to the scale
- Tailed tailless bat bringing 10 grams to the scale