Gray-bellied opossum mouse

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Gray-bellied opossum mouse
Systematics
Class : Mammals (mammalia)
Subclass : Marsupials (Marsupialia)
Order : Paucituberculata
Family : Mausopossums (Caenolestidae)
Genre : Real possum mice ( Caenolestes )
Type : Gray-bellied opossum mouse
Scientific name
Caenolestes caniventer
Anthony , 1921

The gray-bellied caenolestid ( Caenolestes caniventer ) is a type of authentics Opossummäuse within the shrew opossum (Caenolestidae). It lives in the northern Andes in parts of Ecuador and in northern Peru.

features

The gray-bellied possum mouse reaches a total length of 256 millimeters with a tail length of about 127 millimeters, the weight is about 40 grams. The adult males are significantly larger than the females. 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 brown-black; Compared to the Ecuador opossum mouse ( Caenolestes fuliginosus ) it is significantly denser with hair up to 10 millimeters long, some of which have white tips. The undercoat is gray-white in color. The animals usually have dark spots on their throats. Like other species of mouse opossum, representatives of this species also have lip valves that are unusual for marsupials, 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.

4th · 1 · 3 · 4th  =  42
3 · 1 · 3 · 4th
Tooth formula of the actual opossum mice

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

Distribution area (blue) of the gray-bellied opossum mouse

The gray-bellied opossum mouse occurs in the South American Andes in central and southwestern Ecuador and in northern Peru . In Ecuador, individual individuals were caught in the province of El Oro , on the Cayambe and in the area of Molleturo . The altitude distribution of the species is above 1500 meters.

Way of life

Little information is available about the way of life of the gray-bellied opossum mouse, but it probably corresponds to that of other species of the genus. It lives in subtropical forests as well as forests at high altitudes of the Andes and is strictly bound to this habitat. It prefers cool and humid microclimates in the undergrowth. In the grassland areas, they form canals and paths under the root system along rivers.

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 gray-bellied 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 gray-bellied 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 gray-bellied opossum mouse comes from Harold Elmer Anthony from 1921 on the basis of an individual from the El Oro province in Ecuador.

Apart from the nominate form, no further subspecies are distinguished within the species .

Existence, endangerment and protection

The gray-bellied opossum mouse is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as a species on the warning list (near threatened), mainly due to its declining populations . The main risk is the conversion and the associated loss of habitats in agricultural areas (especially in Ecuador) and the deforestation of forest areas for the sale of wood (especially in Peru). Since the forest-bound species occurs only in a narrow and elongated distribution area, the zonal loss of habitat leads to the islanding of the populations. However, hardly any data is available on population sizes and actual distribution and it is possible that the species will have to be classified in a higher hazard category in the future than previously assumed.

supporting documents

  1. a b c d e f g h i Leila Siciliano: Caenolestes caniventer, gray-bellied shrew opossum. in the Animal Diversity Net. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  2. a b c d Caenolestes caniventer in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2013.2. Posted by: B. Patterson, S. Solari, 2008. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  3. ^ 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
  4. a b Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (eds.): Caenolestes caniventer in Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed).

Web links

Commons : Caenolestes caniventer  - collection of images, videos and audio files