Brown four-eyed opossum

Species of marsupial

Brown four-eyed opossum[1]
Conservation status

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
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)
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 appears to be mostly insectivorous, though also consumes some types of fruit seeds, small vertebrate creatures like birds and reptiles and invertebrates like crayfish and snails.[5] The brown four-eyed opossum is a host of the Acanthocephalan intestinal parasite Gigantorhynchus ortizi.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c Gardner, A.L. (2005). "Order Didelphimorphia". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 12. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Brito, D.; Astúa, D.; Lew, D.; de la Sancha, N. (2021). "Metachirus nudicaudatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T40509A197311536. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T40509A197311536.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Eisenberg, John F.; Redford, Kent H. (May 15, 2000). Mammals of the Neotropics, Volume 3: The Central Neotropics: Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil. University of Chicago Press. pp. 77–78. ISBN 978-0-226-19542-1. OCLC 493329394.
  4. ^ Bies, L. (2002). "Metachirus nudicaudatus". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Retrieved 2012-01-13.
  5. ^ Gardner, Alfred. Mammals of South America Volume 1. University of Chicago Press. p. 34.
  6. ^ Nascimento Gomes, Ana Paula; Cesário, Clarice Silva; Olifiers, Natalie; de Cassia Bianchi, Rita; Maldonado, Arnaldo; Vilela, Roberto do Val (December 2019). "New morphological and genetic data of Gigantorhynchus echinodiscus (Diesing, 1851) (Acanthocephala: Archiacanthocephala) in the giant anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla Linnaeus, 1758 (Pilosa: Myrmecophagidae)". International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife. 10: 281–288. doi:10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.09.008. PMC 6906829. PMID 31867208.
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Extant Didelphimorphia (opossums) species
Subfamily Caluromyinae
Caluromys
(Woolly opossums)
Subgenus Caluromys
Bare-tailed woolly opossum (C. philander)
Subgenus Mallodelphys
Derby's woolly opossum (C. derbianus)
Brown-eared woolly opossum (C. lanatus)
Caluromysiops
  • Black-shouldered opossum (C. irrupta)
Glironia
  • Bushy-tailed opossum (G. venusta)
Subfamily Didelphinae (cont. below)
Chacodelphys
  • Chacoan pygmy opossum (C. chacoensis)
Chironectes
  • Water opossum (C. minimus)
Cryptonanus
  • Agricola's gracile opossum (C. agricolai)
  • Chacoan gracile opossum (C. chacoensis)
  • Guahiba gracile opossum (C. guahybae)
  • Unduavi gracile opossum (C. unduaviensis)
Didelphis
(Large American
opossums)
  • White-eared opossum (D. albiventris)
  • Big-eared opossum (D. aurita)
  • Guianan white-eared opossum (D. imperfecta)
  • Common opossum (D. marsupialis)
  • Andean white-eared opossum (D. pernigra)
  • Virginia opossum (D. virginiana)
Gracilinanus
  • Aceramarca gracile opossum (G. aceramarcae)
  • Agile gracile opossum (G. agilis)
  • Wood sprite gracile opossum (G. dryas)
  • Emilia's gracile opossum (G. emilae)
  • Northern gracile opossum (G. marica)
  • Brazilian gracile opossum (G. microtarsus)
Hyladelphys
  • Kalinowski's mouse opossum (H. kalinowskii)
Lestodelphys
  • Patagonian opossum (L. halli)
Lutreolina
  • Big lutrine opossum (L. crassicaudata)
  • Massoia's lutrine opossum (L. massoia))
Marmosa
(Mouse opossums)
  • Alston's mouse opossum (M. alstoni)
  • Heavy-browed mouse opossum (M. andersoni)
  • White-bellied woolly mouse opossum (M. constantiae)
  • Woolly mouse opossum (M. demerarae)
  • Isthmian mouse opossum (M. isthmica)
  • Rufous mouse opossum (M. lepida)
  • Mexican mouse opossum (M. mexicana)
  • Linnaeus's mouse opossum (M. murina)
  • Tate's woolly mouse opossum (M. paraguayanus)
  • Little woolly mouse opossum (M. phaeus)
  • Quechuan mouse opossum (M. quichua)
  • Bare-tailed woolly mouse opossum (M. regina)
  • Robinson's mouse opossum (M. robinsoni)
  • Red mouse opossum (M. rubra)
  • Tyler's mouse opossum (M. tyleriana)
  • Guajira mouse opossum (M. xerophila)
Marmosops
  • Bishop's slender opossum (M. bishopi)
  • Narrow-headed slender opossum (M. cracens)
  • Creighton's slender opossum (M. creightoni)
  • Dorothy's slender opossum (M. dorothea)
  • Dusky slender opossum (M. fuscatus)
  • Handley's slender opossum (M. handleyi)
  • Tschudi's slender opossum (M. impavidus)
  • Gray slender opossum (M. incanus)
  • Panama slender opossum (M. invictus)
  • Junin slender opossum (M. juninensis)
  • Neblina slender opossum (M. neblina)
  • White-bellied slender opossum (M. noctivagus)
  • Delicate slender opossum (M. parvidens)
  • Brazilian slender opossum (M. paulensis)
  • Pinheiro's slender opossum (M. pinheiroi)
Subfamily Didelphinae (cont. above)
Metachirus
  • Brown four-eyed opossum (M. nudicaudatus)
Monodelphis
(Short-tailed
opossums)
  • Sepia short-tailed opossum (M. adusta)
  • Northern three-striped opossum (M. americana)
  • Northern red-sided opossum (M. brevicaudata)
  • Yellow-sided opossum (M. dimidiata)
  • Gray short-tailed opossum (M. domestica)
  • Emilia's short-tailed opossum (M. emiliae)
  • Amazonian red-sided opossum (M. glirina)
  • Ihering's three-striped opossum (M. iheringi)
  • Pygmy short-tailed opossum (M. kunsi)
  • Marajó short-tailed opossum (M. maraxina)
  • Osgood's short-tailed opossum (M. osgoodi)
  • Hooded red-sided opossum (M. palliolata)
  • Peruvian short-tailed opossum (M. peruviana)
  • Reig's opossum (M. reigi)
  • Ronald's opossum (M. ronaldi)
  • Chestnut-striped opossum (M. rubida)
  • Long-nosed short-tailed opossum (M. scalops)
  • Southern red-sided opossum (M. sorex)
  • Southern three-striped opossum (M. theresa)
  • Red three-striped opossum (M. umbristriata)
  • One-striped opossum (M. unistriata)
Philander
(Gray & black four-
eyed opossums)
  • Anderson's four-eyed opossum (P. andersoni)
  • Deltaic four-eyed opossum (P. deltae)
  • Southeastern four-eyed opossum (P. frenatus)
  • McIlhenny's four-eyed opossum (P. mcilhennyi)
  • Mondolfi's four-eyed opossum (P. mondolfii)
  • Olrog's four-eyed opossum (P. olrogi)
  • Gray four-eyed opossum (P. opossum)
Thylamys
  • Cinderella fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. cinderella)
  • Elegant fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. elegans)
  • Karimi's fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. karimii)
  • Paraguayan fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. macrurus)
  • White-bellied fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. pallidior)
  • Common fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. pusillus)
  • Argentine fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. sponsorius)
  • Tate's fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. tatei)
  • Dwarf fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. velutinus)
  • Buff-bellied fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. venustus)
Tlacuatzin
  • Grayish mouse opossum (T. canescens)
Taxon identifiers
Metachirus nudicaudatus
Metachirus
Metachirini
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