Robinson's mouse opossum
Robinson's mouse opossum | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
Order: | Didelphimorphia |
Family: | Didelphidae |
Genus: | Marmosa |
Subgenus: | Exulomarmosa
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Species: | M. robinsoni
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Binomial name | |
Marmosa robinsoni Bangs, 1898
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Robinson's mouse opossum range |
Robinson's mouse opossum (Marmosa robinsoni) is a species of
Robinson's mouse opossums move along tree branches and vines with the help of a prehensile tail and may leap between gaps as they search for fruit and insects. The species is named after Wirt Robinson, the collector of the specimen from which it was first described.
Description
Marmosa robinsoni is typically cinnamon brown with a yellow underside. Its dorsal color varies from russet to gray. The top of the head is generally paler in color than the rest of the body. The black facial mask is always present but varies in size according to the region of that individual. It possesses a prehensile tail about 1.3 times its body length, which is covered in fine white hairs. Its feet are modified for grasping with pads and an opposable
Habitat
The species was originally collected on Margarita Island, Venezuela.
A study conducted in a xeric shrubland of northwestern Venezuela found that females of Marmosa robinsoni increase in mass three time faster than males.
Behavior
Marmosa robinsoni generally first appears as sunset and is active intermittently until sunrise. These activity periods usual begin with a grooming session with special attention given to the face and snout. Based on current observations it appears to be a solitary species in the wild. Captivity showed the formation of social hierarchies. This hierarchy is related to reproduction and involves the males asserting their dominance by marking their cages with an oily secretion.
Range
The known distribution of Marmosa robinsoni extends from Finca Santa Clara in the western Panamanian province of Chiriquì, eastward across the isthmus to Colombia and northern Venezuela. Although most Venezuelan specimens are from north of the Orinoco River, found one specimen from Ciudad Bolivar on the south (right) bank of the river in Bolivar state. The species is also known from several islands on the continental shelf of Central America (e.g., Isla del Rey, Isla Saboga) and South America (Isla Margarita, Trinidad, and Tobago), and from the Caribbean island of Grenada.[1]
Reproduction
Marmosa robinsoni reproduces according to a simple schedule. It gives birth to 6 to 14 young after a gestation period of just 14 days. The tiny young, measuring only up to 12 millimeters, attach themselves to the mother's
Conservation
There are no current threats to this species, except for the reduction of its habitat from deforestation or resource obtainment.[1]
References
- ^ . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- OCLC 62265494.
- ^ JSTOR 3504031.
- ^ Bangs, Outram (1898). "A new murine opossum from Margarita Island". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 12: 95–96.
- ^ Broomes, Sakile (2015). "Marmosa robinsoni (Robinson's Mouse Opossum)" (PDF). The Online Guide to the Animals of Trinidad and Tobago. the University of the West Indies.