| Brown four-eyed opossum [1] | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| 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 (É. Geoffroy, 1803) | |
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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]
