| Dark four-eyed opossum | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
| Order: | Didelphimorphia |
| Family: | Didelphidae |
| Genus: | Philander |
| Species: | P. melanurus |
| Binomial name | |
| Philander melanurus (O. Thomas, 1899) | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
List
| |
The dark four-eyed opossum (Philander melanurus) is a species of opossum from Central and South America. [2]
This species was originally described as a subspecies of Philander opossum , [3] and was considered a subspecies until the late 2010s. [1] [2] [4] Some sources, such as GBIF and the IUCN do not recognize this species's validity yet, while others, such as the American Society of Mammalogists, do recognize it as valid. [5] The subspecies Philander opossum fuscogriseus was sometimes recognized as a valid subspecies, but is now considered a junior synonym of P. melanurus. [2] If fuscogriseus would be revalidized, it would include populations in Central America, while the nominate subspecies would be the South American populations. [6] When considered valid the two forms could be differentiated by fuscogriseus having a lighter-tipped tail and lighter fur color on average, while melanurus has a unicolored tail and darker upperparts. [1]
The common name "four-eyed opossum" comes from the spots above the eyes of this species looking like another set of eyes. The specific name "melanurus" is derived from the Greek "melas" meaning "black" and "oura" meaning "the tail". [7]
This species ranges from 483 to 582 mm (19.0 to 22.9 in), averaging 527 mm (20.7 in). The tail makes up around 258.5 mm (10.18 in) of this length. [4] This species closely resembles the gray four-eyed opossum, but is darker overall, with a usually darker tail. Populations in Central America have a lighter-colored tip of the tail, [8] similar to most Philander opossums, but populations in the southern part of the range have a uniformly dark tail. [3] The upper parts of the head, back, rump, and limbs are a dark gray to black color, with gray-tipped hairs. The sides of the body, the cheeks, and the eyebrows are a yellowish color, and the underside is white. [8] This species is very similar to Philander vossi , but darker overall.
This species is found west of the Andes Mountains in Ecuador, Colombia, and Panama. Either this species or the northern four-eyed opossum occurs in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica but more surveying is needed in these regions. [2] As of 2024, no research has been done to find the range border of this species and Philander vossi, but data from the citizen science website iNaturalist indicates it is around the Nicaragua-Costa Rica border. [9] The holotype is from the town of Paramba, along the Río Mira, in northern Ecuador. [3]
Opossums are members of the marsupial order Didelphimorphia endemic to the Americas. The largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, it comprises 126 species in 18 genera. Opossums originated in South America and entered North America in the Great American Interchange following the connection of North and South America.
The bushy-tailed opossum is an opossum from South America. It was first described by English zoologist Oldfield Thomas in 1912. It is a medium-sized opossum characterized by a large, oval, dark ears, fawn to cinnamon coat with a buff to gray underside, grayish limbs, and a furry tail. Little is known of the behavior of the bushy-tailed opossum; less than 25 specimens are known. It appears to be arboreal (tree-living), nocturnal and solitary. The diet probably comprises insects, eggs and plant material. This opossum has been captured from heavy, humid, tropical forests; it has been reported from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. The IUCN classifies it as least concern.
The gray four-eyed opossum is an opossum species found in Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and northern Brazil, at altitudes from sea level to 1600 m, but generally below 1,000 metres (3,300 ft). Its habitats include primary, secondary and disturbed forest. It is one of many opossum species in the order Didelphimorphia and the family Didelphidae.
The bare-tailed woolly opossum is an opossum from South America. It was first described by Swedish zoologist Carl Linnaeus in 1758. The bare-tailed woolly opossum is characterized by a gray head, brown to gray coat, orange to gray underside and a partially naked tail. It is nocturnal and solitary; there is hardly any social interaction except between mother and juveniles and in mating pairs. The opossum constructs nests in tree cavities, and its litter size ranges from one to seven. Gestation lasts 25 days, and the juveniles exit the pouch after three months; weaning occurs a month later. The bare-tailed woolly opossum inhabits subtropical forests, rainforests, secondary forests, and plantations; its range extends from northern Venezuela to northeastern and southcentral Brazil. The IUCN classifies this opossum as least concern.
The brown-eared woolly opossum, also known as the western woolly opossum, is an opossum from South America. It was first described by German naturalist Ignaz von Olfers in 1818. The opossum is characterized by a brown to reddish brown coat and similarly colored limbs, yellow to orange underbelly, hairless, brown ears with a hint of pink, and a tail furred on the back for up to half of its length. The brown-eared woolly opossum is nocturnal, solitary and omnivorous. The IUCN lists it as least concern.
The southeastern four-eyed opossum is an opossum species native to South America. It is found in Atlantic Forest ecoregions, in Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina.
Anderson's four-eyed opossum is an opossum species from South America. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. Its dorsal fur is dark, with a black stripe, about 3–4 cm wide, going vertically down the midline of its back. Its dorsal fur is short, about 10 mm long. Its ventral fur is dark gray, but still distinctly lighter than the sides and dorsum. Its tail is furred for the first (approximately) 18% of its length, going from the base to the tip. Its species name "andersoni" was chosen to honor American scientific collector Malcolm Playfair Anderson.
The nine species in the genus Philander, commonly known as gray and black four-eyed opossums, are members of the order Didelphimorphia. Mature females have a well-developed marsupium. The tail appears to be hairless except for the proximal 5 or 6 cm, which has a few long hairs. The tail is slightly longer than the head-and-body length, and it is black for the proximal one half to two thirds of its length. The genus is closely related to Didelphis but the species of Philander are smaller than those of Didelphis. The genus formerly included Metachirus nudicaudatus, but this species lacks a pouch and so is now considered a separate genus. The common name comes from the white spots above the eyes, which can appear from a distance to be another set of eyes.
The black four-eyed opossum is a species of opossum from South America.
Marmosops is a genus of Neotropical opossums of the family Didelphidae. The genus was originally treated as a subgenus from the genus Marmosa rather than having their own classification. This was changed in 1989 by Gardner and Crieghton, who officially separated the group and made them their own genus. The mix-up between to genera Marmosa and Marmosops was common due to the similar appearances including size and other external features. However, the two groups differ significantly in their integument and in the arrangement of their skull and dentition. The dentition is similar in morphology between the two groups, with the exception of the deciduous lower third premolar varying from one genus to the next. The similarity between the two continues to cause the genus Marmosops to be frequently misidentified due to the lack of knowledge regarding the species along with the overlooked traits that help separate them from other opossums. The Marmosops are also commonly confused with the genus Gracilinanus, but this is quickly ruled out by a large number of differing characteristics. These differences include the arrangement of their digits, caudal scales, and the central hair on the scales changing from a three hairs per follicle to many more. This causes the hair of the Gracilinanus to be thicker and has also found to be heavily pigmented. The last group commonly confused with Marmosops is known as the genus Thylamys. These animals have a contrasting dorsal body pelage and the taxa are actually quite different.
The white-bellied fat-tailed mouse opossum is a species of opossum in the family Didelphidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru.
The Didelphinae are a subfamily of opossums consisting of 15 genera and 123 species. Specimens have been collected throughout the Americas, but are predominant in South and Central America.
The Argentine fat-tailed mouse opossum was formerly considered a species of opossum in the family Didelphidae. It is found in the eastern foothills of the Andes in northern Argentina and southern Bolivia. Typically reach around 10-13 cm in body length, with a bushy tail adding another 12-15 cm. Its dorsal fur is gray brown to dark brown. Its ventral fur is gray-based except for the white to yellowish chest hairs. It has been distinguished from T. cinderella by its postorbital ridges. T. cinderella has well-developed postorbital ridges in both juveniles and adults that extend laterally behind the eye sockets. Only adults of T. sponsorius have fully developed postorbital ridges, and these do not extend laterally behind the eye sockets. While the American Society of Mammalogists maintains this as a distinct species, mitochondrial DNA sequence analysis does not support the population being distinct from T. cinderella.
The deltaic four-eyed opossum or delta opossum is a species of opossum found in the Orinoco River delta region of Venezuela, South America, first described in 2006. It inhabits perennially flooded swamp forest or seasonally flooded marsh forest of the adjacent deltas of the Orinoco and nearby rivers. Its dorsal fur is gray. Its ventral fur is cream-colored, but is restricted by the hairs on the sides, which are gray at the base. Its ears are colored only along the margins. The spots above its eyes are small. The spots behind its ears are small and inconspicuous.
Mondolfi's four-eyed opossum is a South American species of opossum found in Colombia and Venezuela, first described in 2006. It inhabits foothills of the Cordillera de Mérida and those on the eastern side of the Cordillera Oriental at elevations from 50 to 800 m. Populations in the two ranges may represent distinct subspecies. It is named after the Venezuelan biologist Edgardo Mondolfi. It has short woolly fur with a pale cream-colored venter as well as large ears pigmented on only the distal half. It is considered to be a junior synonym of the common four-eyed opossum by some sources, such as the Mammal Diversity Database.
Olrog's four-eyed opossum is a South American species of opossum endemic to eastern Bolivia, first described in 2008 based on specimens collected in 1974. It inhabits the lowland Amazon rainforest, with an elevation range of 150 to 250 m. The species is named after Swedish-Argentine biologist Claes C. Olrog. It is sympatric with P. opossum, which it resembles. The two species differ in several ways, such as ventral fur color and condition of the zygomatic arch. It is considered to be a junior synonym of the common four-eyed opossum by some sources, such as the Mammal Diversity Database.
The common four-eyed opossum is a species of opossum from South America.
The Pebas four-eyed opossum is a species of opossum from South America.
The southern four-eyed opossum is a species of opossum from South America.
The northern four-eyed opossum is a species of opossum from Central America.
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