Kuns shrew pouch rat
| Kuns shrew pouch rat | ||||||||||||
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| Monodelphis kunsi | ||||||||||||
| Pine , 1975 |
Kuns shrew pouch rat ( Monodelphis kunsi ), also called dwarf shrew pouch rat, is a species of opossum that is widespread south of the Amazon basin from the Bolivian lowlands and north of Argentina ( Salta province ) to the north of Paraguay and central Brazil. It is unclear whether Kun's shrew pouch rat is a single species or a complex of several, very closely related species.
description
The head body length of the species is between 6.2 and 10.2 cm, the tail is 3.6 to 4.5 cm long and the weight is 7.5 to 30 g. The tail is only half as long as the head and torso combined. Kuns shrew pouch rat is the smallest opossum species after the Chaco opossum ( Chacodelphys formosa ). The top of the head and the back are solid red-brown. There is no dark median stripe on the back or dark circles under the eyes. The peritoneum is pink with whitish spots. The throat and chest are orange. The hair length is only 3mm on the back and 2mm on the bottom. The ears are short and round. The tail is two-colored, dark above and light below. As is probably the case with all shrew pouch rats, the females have no pouch. The number of teats is not known. The karyotype of Kun's shrew pouch rat is 2n = 18, FN = 30.
Way of life
Kuns shrew pouch rat occurs in rainforests, in the Brazilian Cerrado , in the Bolivian Yungas , in the dry forests of the Gran Chaco and on agricultural areas at heights of 200 to 1700 meters above sea level. Little is known about the way of life, behavior, diet, activity patterns and reproduction of the animals. Since the specimens caught so far in traps placed on the ground and between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. it is assumed that they are diurnal and terrestrial (ground dwelling). The predators of the Kuns-shrew-pouch-rat proven in a savannah of southeastern Brazil include the maned wolf ( Chrysocyon brachyurus ), the barn owl ( Tyto alba ) and the rabbit owl ( Athene cunicularia ).
status
Due to its large distribution area and its adaptability, Kuns shrew pouch rat is assessed as safe by the IUCN (Least Concern).
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d Diego Astúa: Family Didelphidae (Opossums). in Don E. Wilson , Russell A. Mittermeier : Handbook of the Mammals of the World - Volume 5. Monotremes and Marsupials. Lynx Editions, 2015, ISBN 978-84-96553-99-6 , p. 149.
- ^ Adriana De Arruda Bueno and José Carlos Motta-Junior. Behavioral and Morphological Strategies by Small Savannah Rodents to Avoid Predation. Mammalian Biology - Journal of Mammalian Science, 80.5 (2015): 401-08.
- ↑ Monodelphis kunsi in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2015. Posted by: Solari, S., Vilela, J. & Tarifa, T., 2015. Retrieved January 16, 2020.