Peru shrew pouch rat
| Peru shrew pouch rat | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Monodelphis peruviana | ||||||||||||
| ( Osgood , 1913) |
The Peruvian shrew rat ( Monodelphis peruviana , synonym : Peramys peruvianus ) occurs in the eastern Andes, in central and southern Peru and in the west of Bolivia. The species has long been considered a subspecies of the brown shrew rat ( M. adusta ), but is presented as an independent species in the marsupial volume of the Handbook of the Mammals of the World .
description
The opossum reach an average head body length of 9.6 cm and have a 5.6 to 5.8 cm long tail. The animals weighed 24 to 305 g. The fur on the back is a solid chocolate brown, the fur on the underside from the throat to the groin area is light reddish. The chin is brownish. The paws as well as the front and rear legs are a little darker than the body. The fur is dense and the hair length is 4 to 5 mm. The tail is hairless. Females likely do not have a pouch. The number of teats is not known.
Way of life
The Peru shrew pouch rat is found in swampy and well-drained primary and secondary forests. It lives mainly at altitudes of 1400 to 2000 meters, but there are also finds from lower regions (200 m). Two specimens were caught on a banana plantation in Bolivia. So far nothing is known about the way of life, behavior, diet, activity patterns and reproduction of the animals.
status
Since the Peruvian shrew rat has a large distribution area, is relatively common there and occurs in various protected areas, it is considered to be not endangered (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 . Page 148.
- ↑ a b Monodelphis peruviana in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2016 Posted by: Solari, S., 2016. Accessed January 15, 2020th