Handley's short-tailed opossum

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Handley's short-tailed opossum
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Marsupialia
Order: Didelphimorphia
Family: Didelphidae
Genus: Monodelphis
Species:
M. handleyi
Binomial name
Monodelphis handleyi
Solari, 2007

Handley's short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis handleyi) is a species of mammal in the family Didelphidae. It is only known to exist in its type locality in Peru, and more recently in Brazil. [1] [2]

Contents

Taxonomy

The holotype for the species was caught by Jessica Amanzo on February 5, 1997, in Peru.

The species is named after Charles O. Handley, Jr. to honor his contribution to the study of neotropical mammals. [1]

Description

The opossum is medium-sized and robust. It has short dorsal fur with the hair having pale gray bases and brown tips. It has dull cream underparts with a pale midventral stripe. It has a brownish head and rump, with short, white whiskers. A yellowish to orange throat gland is present. The pinnae are uniformly brown and are furless.

It has short, robust limbs. [1]

Distribution and habitat

The opossum is known only from Peru and Brazil. The specimens were caught swampy and well-drained forest bordering primary and secondary forests. The height of the tree canopy was 25-30 meters with a dense understory and abundant palms. [3] [2]

Conservation

The opossum is assessed as data-deficient by the IUCN. There is lack of information about the animals habitat requirement, population, and habits, although probable threats include selective logging and deforestation in its range. [3]

Related Research Articles

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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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown-eared woolly opossum</span> Species of marsupial

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-shouldered opossum</span> Species of marsupial

The black-shouldered opossum, also known as the white-eared opossum, is an opossum known from western Brazil and southeastern Peru. It was first described by Colin Campbell Sanborn, curator of Field Museum of Natural History, in 1951. The black-shouldered opossum is characterized by a gray coat, gray underbelly, and broad black stripes that extend from the forefeet, meet on the shoulders, run along the midline of the back and then split into parallel stripes that run down the hind feet. Little is known of the behavior of the black-shouldered opossum. It is nocturnal and arboreal. It is known to feed on fruits and rodents. The opossum inhabits humid forests. The IUCN classifies it as least concern.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Short-tailed opossum</span> Genus of mammals

Monodelphis is a genus of marsupials in the family Didelphidae, commonly referred to as short-tailed opossums. They are found throughout South America. As of January 2019, the most recently described species is M. vossi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pygmy short-tailed opossum</span> Species of marsupial

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern red-sided opossum</span> Species of marsupial

The southern red-sided opossum is an opossum species from South America. It is found in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heavy-browed mouse opossum</span> Species of marsupial

The heavy-browed mouse opossum, or Anderson's mouse opossum, is a species of opossum in the family Didelphidae. It is endemic to a restricted range in southern Peru. This opossum inhabits forests; it is nocturnal and probably arboreal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Handley's slender opossum</span> Species of marsupial

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sepia short-tailed opossum</span> Species of marsupial

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Osgood's short-tailed opossum</span> Species of marsupial

Osgood's short-tailed opossum is a species of opossum in the family Didelphidae. It is found in Bolivia and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland. It is threatened by habitat loss. The opossum is named after American zoologist W. H. Osgood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-bellied fat-tailed mouse opossum</span> Species of marsupial

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.

<i>Gracilinanus</i> Genus of marsupials

Gracilinanus is a genus of opossum in the family Didelphidae. It was separated from the genus Marmosa in 1989, and has since had the genera Cryptonanus, Chacodelphys, and Hyladelphys removed from it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Didelphinae</span> Subfamily of marsupials

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quechuan mouse opossum</span> Species of marsupial

The Quechuan mouse opossum is a South American opossum species of the family Didelphidae. It is known from two areas of montane forest on the eastern slopes of the Andes in Peru, at altitudes from 300 to 2700 m. The type locality in the Valle de Occobamba is in the southern area, in Cuzco Region, while the northern area is in the vicinity of Moyobamba in San Martín Region. The true range may be more extensive and possibly extends into Bolivia. The northern area has suffered from habitat destruction, but the southern area is not seriously degraded.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amazonian red-sided opossum</span> Species of marsupial

The Amazonian red-sided opossum is a South American opossum species of the family Didelphidae, formerly viewed as part of M. brevicaudata. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil and Peru, where it inhabits the Amazon rainforest. It is omnivorous, nocturnal, and primarily nonarboreal.

The Peruvian short-tailed opossum is a species of marsupial in the family Didelphidae.It is found in Bolivia and Peru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronald's opossum</span> Species of marsupial

Ronald's opossum is a South American opossum species of the family Didelphidae. It was discovered in 2004, and most closely resembles M. adusta. It is known only from Manú National Park, Peru, where it inhabits the Amazon rainforest. It is named after American zoologist Ronald H. Pine.

Gardner's short-tailed opossum is a marsupial mammal from South America. It was named in 2012 by Sergio Solari, Víctor Pacheco, Elena Vivar and Louise H. Emmons. They named it after Dr. Alfred L. Gardner who took the first specimen of this species.

Monodelphis pinocchio, also known as the long-nosed short-tailed opossum is a species of mammal in the family Didelphidae. It is endemic to southeastern Brazil.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Solari, Sergio (2007-04-01). "New Species of Monodelphis (Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae) from Peru, with Notes on M. adusta ()". Journal of Mammalogy. 88 (2): 319–329. doi: 10.1644/06-MAMM-A-075R1.1 .
  2. 1 2 Bezerra, Alexandra M. R.; Bonvicino, Cibele R.; Caramaschi, Fabiana P.; Castiglia, Riccardo (2019-07-01). "Discovery of the rare Handley's short-tailed opossum, Monodelphis handleyi, in the threatened southern Amazonian savanna of Brazil". Mammalian Biology. 97: 28–35. doi:10.1016/j.mambio.2019.04.003. ISSN   1616-5047. S2CID   149476502.
  3. 1 2 Sergio Solari (Universidad de Antioquia, Colombia) (2016-07-30). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Handley's Short-tailed Opossum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2020-04-07.