Species of marsupial
Brown four-eyed opossum[1] |
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Conservation status |
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Status_iucn3.1_LC.svg/220px-Status_iucn3.1_LC.svg.png) Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[2] |
Scientific classification |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
Order: | Didelphimorphia |
Family: | Didelphidae |
Subfamily: | Didelphinae |
Tribe: | Metachirini Reig et al., 1987 |
Genus: | Metachirus Burmeister, 1854 |
Species: | M. nudicaudatus |
Binomial name |
Metachirus nudicaudatus |
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Brown four-eyed opossum range |
The brown four-eyed opossum (Metachirus nudicaudatus) is a pouchless marsupial[3] of the family Didelphidae. It is found in different forested habitats of Central and South America,[2] from Nicaragua to Brazil and northern Argentina,[1] including southeastern Colombia, Paraguay and eastern Peru and Bolivia, at elevations from sea level to 1,500 m (4,900 ft).[2] It is the only recognized species in the genus Metachirus,[1] but molecular phylogenetics studies suggest that it should probably be split into several species.[2] Population densities are usually low, and it is uncommon in parts of Central America.[2] A density of 25.6/km2 (66/sq mi) was reported near Manaus, Brazil.[3] Its karyotype has 2n = 14 and FN = 24.[3]
It is a nocturnal, solitary,[2] strongly terrestrial and omnivorous animal, feeding on fruits, small vertebrates and invertebrates.[3]
The brown four-eyed opossum builds nests made of leaves and twigs in tree branches or under rocks and logs.[4] It is seasonally polyestrous and the litter size varies from one to nine.[3]
The white spot over each eye inspired the common name of "four-eyed opossum". Its scaly tail is longer than its body.[3]
The opossum is mostly insectivorous,[5] though it also consumes some types of fruit seeds, small vertebrates like birds and reptiles and invertebrates like crayfish and snails.[6] The brown four-eyed opossum is a host of the acanthocephalan intestinal parasite Gigantorhynchus ortizi.[7]
References
- ^ a b c Gardner, A.L. (2005). "Order Didelphimorphia". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 12. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
- ^ a b c d e f Brito, D.; Astúa, D.; Lew, D.; de la Sancha, N. (2021). "Metachirus nudicaudatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T40509A197311536. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T40509A197311536.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Eisenberg, John F.; Redford, Kent H. (May 15, 2000). Mammals of the Neotropics, Volume 3: The Central Neotropics: Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil. University of Chicago Press. pp. 77–78. ISBN 978-0-226-19542-1. OCLC 493329394.
- ^ Bies, L. (2002). "Metachirus nudicaudatus". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Retrieved 2012-01-13.
- ^ Cáceres, N.C. (2004). "Diet of three didelphid marsupials (Mammalia, Didelphimorphia) in southern Brazil". Mammalian Biology. 69 (6): 430–433. Bibcode:2004MamBi..69..430C. doi:10.1078/1616-5047-00165.
- ^ Gardner, Alfred L.; Dagosto, Marian (2007). "Tribe Metachirini Reig, Kirsch, and Marshall, 1985". In Gardner, Alfred L. (ed.). Mammals of South America. Vol. 1. University of Chicago Press. pp. 35–39. ISBN 978-0-226-28240-4.
- ^ Nascimento Gomes, Ana Paula; Cesário, Clarice Silva; Olifiers, Natalie; de Cassia Bianchi, Rita; Maldonado, Arnaldo; Vilela, Roberto do Val (December 2019). "New morphological and genetic data of Gigantorhynchus echinodiscus (Diesing, 1851) (Acanthocephala: Archiacanthocephala) in the giant anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla Linnaeus, 1758 (Pilosa: Myrmecophagidae)". International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife. 10: 281–288. Bibcode:2019IJPPW..10..281N. doi:10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.09.008. PMC 6906829. PMID 31867208.
Extant Didelphimorphia (opossums) species
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Caluromys (Woolly opossums) | - Subgenus Caluromys
- Bare-tailed woolly opossum (C. philander)
- Subgenus Mallodelphys
- Derby's woolly opossum (C. derbianus)
- Brown-eared woolly opossum (C. lanatus)
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Caluromysiops | - Black-shouldered opossum (C. irrupta)
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Glironia | - Bushy-tailed opossum (G. venusta)
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Chacodelphys | - Chacoan pygmy opossum (C. chacoensis)
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Chironectes | - Water opossum (C. minimus)
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Cryptonanus | - Agricola's gracile opossum (C. agricolai)
- Chacoan gracile opossum (C. chacoensis)
- Guahiba gracile opossum (C. guahybae)
- Unduavi gracile opossum (C. unduaviensis)
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Didelphis (Large American opossums) | - White-eared opossum (D. albiventris)
- Big-eared opossum (D. aurita)
- Guianan white-eared opossum (D. imperfecta)
- Common opossum (D. marsupialis)
- Andean white-eared opossum (D. pernigra)
- Virginia opossum (D. virginiana)
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Gracilinanus | - Aceramarca gracile opossum (G. aceramarcae)
- Agile gracile opossum (G. agilis)
- Wood sprite gracile opossum (G. dryas)
- Emilia's gracile opossum (G. emilae)
- Northern gracile opossum (G. marica)
- Brazilian gracile opossum (G. microtarsus)
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Hyladelphys | - Kalinowski's mouse opossum (H. kalinowskii)
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Lestodelphys | - Patagonian opossum (L. halli)
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Lutreolina | - Big lutrine opossum (L. crassicaudata)
- Massoia's lutrine opossum (L. massoia))
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Marmosa (Mouse opossums) | - Alston's mouse opossum (M. alstoni)
- Heavy-browed mouse opossum (M. andersoni)
- White-bellied woolly mouse opossum (M. constantiae)
- Woolly mouse opossum (M. demerarae)
- Isthmian mouse opossum (M. isthmica)
- Rufous mouse opossum (M. lepida)
- Mexican mouse opossum (M. mexicana)
- Linnaeus's mouse opossum (M. murina)
- Tate's woolly mouse opossum (M. paraguayanus)
- Little woolly mouse opossum (M. phaeus)
- Quechuan mouse opossum (M. quichua)
- Bare-tailed woolly mouse opossum (M. regina)
- Robinson's mouse opossum (M. robinsoni)
- Red mouse opossum (M. rubra)
- Tyler's mouse opossum (M. tyleriana)
- Guajira mouse opossum (M. xerophila)
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Marmosops | - Bishop's slender opossum (M. bishopi)
- Narrow-headed slender opossum (M. cracens)
- Creighton's slender opossum (M. creightoni)
- Dorothy's slender opossum (M. dorothea)
- Dusky slender opossum (M. fuscatus)
- Handley's slender opossum (M. handleyi)
- Tschudi's slender opossum (M. impavidus)
- Gray slender opossum (M. incanus)
- Panama slender opossum (M. invictus)
- Junin slender opossum (M. juninensis)
- Neblina slender opossum (M. neblina)
- White-bellied slender opossum (M. noctivagus)
- Delicate slender opossum (M. parvidens)
- Brazilian slender opossum (M. paulensis)
- Pinheiro's slender opossum (M. pinheiroi)
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Metachirus | - Brown four-eyed opossum (M. nudicaudatus)
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Monodelphis (Short-tailed opossums) | - Sepia short-tailed opossum (M. adusta)
- Northern three-striped opossum (M. americana)
- Northern red-sided opossum (M. brevicaudata)
- Yellow-sided opossum (M. dimidiata)
- Gray short-tailed opossum (M. domestica)
- Emilia's short-tailed opossum (M. emiliae)
- Amazonian red-sided opossum (M. glirina)
- Ihering's three-striped opossum (M. iheringi)
- Pygmy short-tailed opossum (M. kunsi)
- Marajó short-tailed opossum (M. maraxina)
- Osgood's short-tailed opossum (M. osgoodi)
- Hooded red-sided opossum (M. palliolata)
- Peruvian short-tailed opossum (M. peruviana)
- Reig's opossum (M. reigi)
- Ronald's opossum (M. ronaldi)
- Chestnut-striped opossum (M. rubida)
- Long-nosed short-tailed opossum (M. scalops)
- Southern red-sided opossum (M. sorex)
- Southern three-striped opossum (M. theresa)
- Red three-striped opossum (M. umbristriata)
- One-striped opossum (M. unistriata)
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Philander (Gray & black four- eyed opossums) | - Anderson's four-eyed opossum (P. andersoni)
- Deltaic four-eyed opossum (P. deltae)
- Southeastern four-eyed opossum (P. frenatus)
- McIlhenny's four-eyed opossum (P. mcilhennyi)
- Mondolfi's four-eyed opossum (P. mondolfii)
- Olrog's four-eyed opossum (P. olrogi)
- Gray four-eyed opossum (P. opossum)
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Thylamys | - Cinderella fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. cinderella)
- Elegant fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. elegans)
- Karimi's fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. karimii)
- Paraguayan fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. macrurus)
- White-bellied fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. pallidior)
- Common fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. pusillus)
- Argentine fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. sponsorius)
- Tate's fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. tatei)
- Dwarf fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. velutinus)
- Buff-bellied fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. venustus)
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Tlacuatzin | - Grayish mouse opossum (T. canescens)
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Taxon identifiers |
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Metachirus nudicaudatus | |
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Metachirus | |
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Metachirini | |
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