Marmosops

Marmosops incanus

The Slim opossums ( Marmosops ) are a genus of the family of opossums ( Didelphidae ). They are native to America, their range extends from Panama into middle America.

General

Slim pouch rats are mouse-like marsupials, but do not have a bag. Their fur is gray or brown on the top, the underside is lighter, often whitish. Like all smaller opossums They have large eyes, a pointed snout and large ears. These animals can reach a body length 9-16 cm and a tail length of 11-22 centimeters.

Habitat of Slim opossums are mainly forests, sometimes they also occur on plantations. There are nocturnal and solitary, mostly live in trees but sometimes also come to the floor. During the day they sleep in nests made ​​of leaves and twigs or use empty bird nests. They are omnivorous, taking mainly insects and fruit to himself. Sometimes they also eat small vertebrates and bird eggs.

Since the females do not have bags, they drag the pups in the first months of life to her body hanging around with them. As with all possums the short gestation period ( approximately 14 days), the high litter size ( 6-7 ) and life expectancy is low.

Slim pouch rats are not tracked directly from the people, but suffer the loss of habitat through deforestation.

System

Until recently, the Slim possums in the genus of dwarf opossums ( Marmosa ) were classified. The two genera, however, differ in details of the skull construction and from a gland in the larynx, which is absent in the males of the Slim pouch rats in contrast to the dwarf opossums.

Today, at least nine species can be distinguished:

  • Marmosops noctivagus is native to the Amazon basin.
  • Marmosops dorothea lives in Bolivia. The species is endangered.
  • Marmosops incanus occurs in the eastern and southeastern Brazil.
  • Marmosops invictus is endemic to Panama.
  • Marmosops parvidens is native throughout northern and central South America.
  • Marmosop handleyi is known only through a copy from Colombia. The IUCN lists the species as critically endangered.
  • Marmosops fuscatus live in Colombia and Venezuela.
  • Marmosops cracens is restricted to the northwestern Venezuela. The species is considered threatened.
  • Marmosops impavidus occurs in Panama and northwestern South America.
  • Sometimes neblina M., M. ocellatus, M. and M. paulensis pinheiroi additionally bishopi M., M. creightoni, M. juninensis, managed as separate species.
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