Gracilinanus agilis (Burmeister)

Rocha, Rita G., Ferreira, Eduardo, Costa, Barbara M. A., Martins, Iracy C. M., Leite, Yuri L. R., Costa, Leonora P. & Fonseca, Carlos, 2011, Small mammals of the mid-Araguaia River in central Brazil, with the description of a new species of climbing rat, Zootaxa 2789, pp. 1-34 : 12

Gracilinanus agilis (Burmeister)

Identification. Gracilinanus agilis was the smallest marsupial species captured during this study. Besides its small size, the characteristic orange color at the base of the ears allow the distinction between this species and the other small-bodied opossums captured, such as Marmosa murina . Individuals of this species present a prominently black eye mask and forehead color is lighter than body color. Dorsal pelage is short and chestnut brown. The throat is orangish yellow with self-colored hairs; the belly varies from light cream with self-colored hairs to orangish yellow with gray-based hairs. Hands and feet are whitish dorsally. Females have no pouch.

Measurements (n = 41): HB = 75–108, T = 124–139, HF = 14–19, E = 21–28, W = 15–29.

Distribution. This species occurs from northeast to southeast Brazil to south Paraguay and Uruguay, and also in eastern Peru and Bolivia, occupying Cerrado, Caatinga and Chaco biomes ( Gardner 2007). These are the northwesternmost records of G. agilis along with those of Bezerra et al. (2009).

Natural history. Forty-seven individuals (41 adults and six juveniles) were captured either in Sherman traps placed on the ground (n = 29) or in the understory (n = 13), and in pitfall traps (n = 5). Almost all individuals of G. agilis were captured in natural forest fragments at FLV, either enclosed in the matrix of pristine Cerrado or in cultivated lands, and only two were captured in alluvial forests at PEC. Seven lactating females and six juveniles were captured in September 2008.

Vouchers (n = 9: 6ɗ 3Ψ): UFES 1265–1271, 1412 –1413.