Ground cuscus vs Mountain cuscus
The ground cuscus is heavier: 2.6 kg against 2.05 kg for the mountain cuscus, about 27% more.
Photo: Drcwp1 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Heath Warwick · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
What is the difference between a ground cuscus and a mountain cuscus?
Each point below is worked out from a pair of recorded values.
- The ground cuscus is heavier: 2.6 kg against 2.05 kg for the mountain cuscus, about 27% more.
- The ground cuscus is longer-lived: 18.9 years against 2.49 years for the mountain cuscus, about 7.6 times the lifespan.
- Both belong to the genus Phalanger, so they are close relatives.
- Both are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
- They are on record for 1 of the same countries (the ground cuscus for 1 in total, the mountain cuscus for 1). Country data is incomplete and can include zoos, so this does not show whether they meet in the wild.
Side by side
| Ground cuscus | Mountain cuscus | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Phalanger gymnotis | Phalanger carmelitae |
| Family | Phalangeridae | Phalangeridae |
| Order | Diprotodontia | Diprotodontia |
| Weight | 2.4 kg – 2.6 kg | 1.84 kg – 2.05 kg |
| Length | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 18.9 years | 2.49 years |
| Main food | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Countries recorded | 1 | 1 |
A scale drawing needs a recorded length for both animals; only weights are on record for this pair.
Full record: Ground cuscusFull record: Mountain cuscusCompare other animals