Monodelphis arlindoi, Pavan, Rossi & Schneider, 2012

Astúa, D., 2015, Didelphidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 5 Monotremes and Marsupials, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 129-186 : 150

36.

Arlindo’s Short-tailed Opossum

Monodelphis arlindoi

French: Opossum dArlindo / German: Arlindos Spitzmausbeutelratte / Spanish: Colicorto de Arlindo

Taxonomy. Monodelphis arlindor Pavan, Rossi & Schneider, 2012 ,

“ Plato Greig , 43 km south-west of Porto Trombetas, 1° 49’ 43” S, 56° 25° 02” W,” Oriximina, Para, Brazil .

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. C & S Guyana and Brazil N of the Amazon River (SE Roraima, E Amazonas, and N Para); probably also in Suriname.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 12-18.2 cm (males) and 9-5—-15 cm (females), tail 7.9-8 cm (males) and 6.5-9 cm (females); weight 38-105 g (males) and 33-96 g (females). Mid-dorsal fur of Arlindo’s Shorttailed Opossum is grizzled gray from ears to base oftail and red-washed on rump. Sides of body are reddish. Head has narrow mid-dorsal and mid-rostral bands of pale gray to whitish buff fur and an ill-defined band of red hairs above each eye. There are no eye-rings. Tail length is ¢.60% of head-body length, and tail has reddish fur on 30% of its length dorsally and only at very proximal part ventrally. Naked part of tail is weakly bicolored, brownish dorsally and paler brown ventrally. Ventral fur is grayish-cream to yellowish, with gray-based hairs, sharply contrasting with reddish body sides, and is distinctly reddish on throat and chin. Fur is longer and denser dorsally (¢.8 mm) and shorter ventrally (c.4 mm). Feet are brown or gray, and ears are small, uniformly brownish, and appear naked. Females lack a pouch, but number of mammae has not been reported. Arlindo’s Short-tailed Opossum has a 2n = 18, FN = 30 karyotype, with an acrocentric X-chromosome and a minute Y-chromosome. There is some geographical variation in the extent of fur on tail and fur tonality. Males are larger than females.

Habitat. [Lowland Amazon rainforest.

Food and Feeding. There is no information available for this species.

Breeding. There is no information available for this species.

Activity patterns. There is no information available for this species.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no information available for this species.

Status and Conservation. Arlindo’s Short-tailed Opossum has not been assessed as a distinct species on The IUCN Red List because at the time of the last assessment, it was considered to be a conspecific with the Guyanan Short-tailed Opossum ( Monodelphis brevicaudata ). Conservation status of all opossumsis being reassessed by the IUCN New World Marsupial Specialists Group.

Bibliography. Carvalho, Oliveira, Langguth et al. (2011), Carvalho, Oliveira, Nunes & Mattevi (2002), Pavan et al. (2012), Pine & Handley (2007).

Figures

65. Pygmy Opossum (Chacodelphys formosa), 66. Agricola’s Opossum (Cryptonanus agricola), 67. Chacoan Mouse Opossum (Cryptonanus chacoensis), 68. Guaiba Mouse Opossum (Cryptonanus guahybae), 69. Unduavi Mouse Opossum (Cryptonanus unduaviensis), 70. . Emilie’s. 9 Opossum.. Gracilinanus. (null), 71. Aceramarca Opossum (Gracilinanus aceramarcae), 72. Agile Opossum (Gracilinanus agilis), 73. Wood Sprite Opossum (Gracilinanus dryas), 74. Northern Gracile Opossum (Gracilinanus marica), 75. Brazilian Gracile Opossum (Gracilinanus microtarsus)

Distribution. C & S Guyana and Brazil N of the Amazon River (SE Roraima, E Amazonas, and N Para); probably also in Suriname.