Andean opossum mouse
| Andean opossum mouse | ||||||||||||
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| Caenolestes condorensis | ||||||||||||
| Albuja & Patterson , 1996 |
The Andean Opossummaus ( Caenolestes condorensis ) is a type of authentics Opossummäuse within the shrew opossum (Caenolestidae). It was described in 1996 using the only two known individuals of the species from the Andes in Ecuador near the border with Peru.
features
The Andean opossum mouse is only known in two individuals so far. It probably reaches a total length of 256 millimeters with a tail length of about 127 millimeters, the weight is about 48 grams. This makes them the largest animals within the genus, but hardly differs from the other species. Like the other species of Mausopossums, it is similar in appearance to the shrews and has a long, drawn out snout. The fur is shiny and silky, it is colored brownish gray, the belly side is more brownish colored. The thick fur is woolly and consists of hair up to 10 millimeters long. The animals have a rosy nose and white feeler hairs on their faces, like other species of mouse opossums, they also have lip flaps, which are unusual for marsupials and which probably ensure that the animals do not accidentally get earth into their mouths. The animals have short and strong legs with five toes each, with the middle three toes each shorter than the outer toes. The long tail is dark brown and can sometimes be used as a grasping tail and support the animal while climbing. The upper arm bones are very strong, the thigh bones, however, comparatively narrow.
The Andean opossum mouse hardly differs from the gray-bellied opossum mouse ( Caenolestes caniventer ), from which it can only be reliably distinguished on the basis of the size and the formation of the upper canine teeth.
| 4th | · | 1 | · | 3 | · | 4th | = 42 |
| 3 | · | 1 | · | 3 | · | 4th |
Like other species of Mausopossums, this species also has a family-style set of teeth with enlarged lower central incisors that protrude forward and a reduced number of incisors compared to other marsupials. The species of the genus have four incisors , a canine , three premolars and two molars in one upper jaw half, in the lower jaw they have one less incisor per half. The animals have a total of 46 teeth.
Like other marsupials, the mouse opossums have two uteri and two vaginae , and it is assumed that the number of ovaries corresponds to the number of teats (unlike opossums ). The species of the actual opossum mice do not have a belly pouch (pouch); However, they have four teats , two of which are located on the abdomen on the abdomen.
distribution
The Andean opossum mouse is only known from one site in the Cordillera del Cóndor in the Morona Santiago province in Ecuador near the border with Peru . The species is probably also found in similar habitats in the neighboring regions and in Peru . The altitude distribution of the species is around 2000 meters, at the site the height was 2080 meters.
Way of life
No data are available on the way of life of the Andean opossum mouse, as it is known only from two identified individuals. The vegetation and the habitat at the site was heather- like with vegetation that does not exceed 1.5 meters.
It is believed that the way of life hardly differs from that of other species of the genus. The animals of the genus are solitary and especially active at night. They live on the ground, but are also good climbers. They spend the day in tunnels under tree roots. They eat opportunistically and are omnivorous . They live mainly on insects, but also eat vegetable food, especially fruit, and also prey on small vertebrates, including small and young mice. Among the insects, they mainly prey on beetles, flies, crickets and grasshoppers as well as butterflies and their caterpillars, as well as earthworms, centipedes and spiders. They seek their prey in the vegetation, especially in cushions of moss and piles of leaves. They hold their prey with their front feet while eating.
There are no observations on the mating behavior of the mouse opossums; the animals probably have one reproductive phase per year that lasts from February to August. However, the females of the genus and thus also the Andean opossum mouse do not have a belly pouch like other marsupials. In young animals, a belly fold is formed which, however, recedes by the time they reach sexual maturity.
Systematics
The Andean opossum mouse is classified as an independent species within the genus of the actual opossum mice ( Caenolestes ). The genus contains a total of five species, with one species ( Caenolestes sangay ) only being described in 2013 . The first scientific description of the Andean opossum mouse comes from Luis Albuja V. & Bruce D. Patterson from 1996 on the basis of two individuals from the Morona Santiago province in Ecuador .
No subspecies are distinguished within the species.
Existence, endangerment and protection
The Andean opossum mouse is classified as endangered (vulnerable) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) because it is only known from a single location in the Cordillera del Cóndor . Concrete potential threats to the habitat and populations are not known, but the current state of knowledge about the species is poor and research is necessary to investigate the exact range and ecological requirements of the species.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Luis Albuja V., Bruce D. Patterson: A New Species of Northern Shrew Opossum (Paucituberculata: Caenolestidae) from the Cordillera del Condor, Ecuador. Journal of Mammalogy 77 (1), February 1996; Pp. 41-53. ( JSTOR )
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Leila Siciliano: Caenolestes condorensis, Andean caenolestid. in the Animal Diversity Net. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
- ↑ a b c Caenolestes condorensis in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.2. Posted by: B. Patterson, S. Solari, 2008. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
- ^ Reed Ojala-Barbour, C. Miguel Pinto, Jorge Brito M., Luis Albuja V., Thomas E. Lee, Jr. and Bruce D. Patterson. 2013. A New Species of Shrew Opossum (Paucituberculata: Caenolestidae) with A Phylogeny of Extant caenolestids. Journal of Mammalogy. 94 (5): 967-982. doi: 10.1644 / 13-MAMM-A-018.1
- ↑ a b Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (eds.): Caenolestes condorensis ( Memento of January 2, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) in Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed).
literature
- Luis Albuja V., Bruce D. Patterson: A New Species of Northern Shrew-Opossum (Paucituberculata: Caenolestidae) from the Cordillera del Cóndor, Ecuador. Journal of Mammalogy 77 (1), February 1996; Pp. 41-53. ( JSTOR )
Web links
- Caenolestes condorensis inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: B. Patterson, S. Solari, 2008. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
- Leila Siciliano: Caenolestes condorensis, Andean caenolestid. in the Animal Diversity Net. Retrieved January 1, 2014.