Chaco opossum

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Chaco opossum
Systematics
Class : Mammals (mammalia)
Subclass : Marsupials (Marsupialia)
Order : Opossum-like (Didelphimorphia)
Family : Opossum rats (Didelphidae)
Genre : Chacodelphys
Type : Chaco opossum
Scientific name of the  genus
Chacodelphys
Voss , Gardner & Jansa , 2004
Scientific name of the  species
Chacodelphys formosa
( Shamel , 1930)
Distribution map of the Chaco opossum

The Chaco opossum ( Chacodelphys formosa ) is a mammal of the family of opossums (Didelphidae). Only one specimen of the species is known, which was found in 1920 in the Argentine province of Formosa .

description

With a head body length of 68 millimeters and a tail length of 55 millimeters, the Chaco opossum is the smallest known opossum. It differs from other species, among other things, by the elongated third finger of the front feet and a strikingly short tail.

habitat

Their habitat is the Chaco region in southern South America.

threat

Nothing is known about the degree of threat, but it may be more common than the only finding so far suggests.

Systematics

When it was first described, the species was initially classified as Marmosa formosa in the genus of the dwarf pouch rats ( Marmosa ), later it was only regarded as a synonym of Gracilinanus agilis . Voss et al. finally established the new genus Chacodelphys for this species in 2004 .

literature

  • Voss, RS, Gardner, AL & Jansa, SA 2004. On the relationships of "Marmosa" formosa Shamel 1930 (Marsupialia, Didelphidae), a phylogenetic puzzle from the chaco of northern Argentina. American Museum Novitates 3442: 1-18, June 2, 2004.

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