Gracilinanus
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| Gardner & Creighton , 1989 |
Gracilinanus is a genus from the family of opossums (Didelphidae). It isnative tonorthern and central South America.
General
These animals are mouse-like marsupials, but they do not have a pouch. Their fur is gray or brown on the upper side, the underside is lighter, often whitish. Like all smaller opossum rats, they have large eyes, pointed snouts, and large ears. These animals reach a head body length of 7 to 14 centimeters and a tail length of 9 to 16 centimeters.
The habitat of these opossum rats are predominantly forests, but sometimes they are also found on plantations. They are nocturnal loners who mostly live in the trees, but sometimes also come to the ground. During the day they sleep in nests made of leaves and twigs. They are omnivores that primarily eat insects and other invertebrates, as well as fruits.
Since the females do not have a pouch, they drag the young around with them in the first months of life, hanging on their 11 to 15 teats. As with all opossum rats, the gestation period is likely to be short (around 14 days), the litter size high (around 6) and life expectancy low.
The animals are not followed directly by humans, but suffer from the loss of habitat due to forest clearing.
Systematics
Until 1989 these animals were classified in the genus of the dwarf sac rats ( Marmosa ). Due to differences in the construction of the skull and the teeth, the own genus Gracilinanus was established in 1989 . Recently, the genera Hyladelphys and Cryptonanus have been separated.
Today six types are distinguished:
- The Bolivian narrow-pouch rat ( Gracilinanus aceramarcae ) is only known from two places in Peru and Bolivia . The IUCN lists the species as critically endangered.
- The nimble narrow-pouch rat ( Gracilinanus agilis ) is native to northern and central South America.
- The forest rat ( Gracilinanus dryas ) is native to Colombia and Venezuela.
- The Emilia narrow-pouch rat ( Gracilinanus emiliae ) is native to northern Brazil.
- The northern narrow-pouch rat ( Gracilinanus marica ) occurs in Colombia and Venezuela .
- The Brazilian small-pouch rat ( Gracilinanus microtarsus ) lives in southeastern Brazil .
literature
- Nowak, Ronald M .: Walker's Mammals of the World . Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999 ISBN 0-8018-5789-9
- Voss, R.S., Lunde, D.P. & Jansa, S.A. 2005. On the Contents of Gracilinanus Gardner & Creighton, 1989, with the Description of a Previously Unrecognized Clade of Small Didelphid Marsupials. American Museum Novitates 3482: 1-34, 2005.
