Shrew opossum

Ecuador Opossummaus ( Caenolestes fuliginosus )

• Actual Opossummäuse ( Caenolestes )
• Peruvian Opossummaus ( Lestoros )
• Chilean Opossummaus ( Rhyncholestes )

The Mausopossums or Opossummäuse ( Caenolestidae ) constitute a family of marsupials and are the only extant representative of the order paucituberculata. The family consists of three genera with seven species.

Dissemination

Mausopossums inhabit the western South America, they are found in the Andes of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru as well as in southern Chile ( on the island of Chiloé and the adjacent mainland ).

Description

Mausopossums similar to shrews. Since these (except in the far north ) does not occur in South America, Mausopossums have partly occupied their ecological niche. Like shrews they have an elongated head. Their body length is approximately 9 to 13 cm, this comes about as a long tail. The coat is soft and thick; it is usually colored brown, gray or black.

Way of life

Mausopossums inhabit moist, cool and densely forested regions. The species that live in the Andes, inhabiting mountainous terrain at an altitude of 2000 to 4000 m. The Chilean species lives in moist forests from sea level to about 1000 m altitude.

There are crepuscular and nocturnal animals that live primarily on the ground, but also can climb well with the help of their tail, which they use as a prop. When foraging, they run fast forward, to put it in the dense bushes also running paths. During their smell and their hearing are excellent, the sense of sight is poorly developed.

The food of Mausopossums consists mainly of insects and worms, and occasionally small vertebrates and fruit.

Little is known about the reproduction of Mausopossums. The females have depending on the species four to seven teats, but no bag.

Threat

Since Mausopossums very inaccessible terrain inhabit relatively few copies are seen. Nevertheless, they are likely to still occur relatively frequently. Deforestation in Chile cause the Chilean Opossummaus IUCN as threatened ( vulnerable ) holds.

System

In the Tertiary, when South America was isolated from the other continents, the order paucituberculata was far fanned and included several families. After the immigration placental mammals with emergence of the land bridge of Panama they were increasingly pushed back, so that today only one family survived. Together with the possums are the Mausopossums Marsupial superorder Ameridelphia, with the exception of Chiloe opossum includes all marsupials of the Americas. They differ in several respects from the Australian marsupials, for example, the fact that sperm always occur in pairs.

There are three genera and seven species:

• Caenolestes - 5 modes: Actual Opossummäuse
• Lestoros - only type: Peruvian Opossummaus ( Lestoros inca )
• Rhyncholestes - only species: Chilean Opossummaus ( Rhyncholestes raphanurus )