Big lutrine opossum

Species of marsupial

Big lutrine opossum

Conservation status

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]

Scientific classification
Domain:  | Eukaryota
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Chordata
Class:  | Mammalia
Infraclass:  | Marsupialia
Order:  | Didelphimorphia
Family:  | Didelphidae
Tribe:  | Didelphini
Genus:  | Lutreolina
Species:  |

L. crassicaudata

Binomial name
Lutreolina crassicaudata

Desmarest, 1804

Subspecies

L. crassicaudata crassicaudata
L. crassicaudata paranalis
L. crassicaudata turneri

Big lutrine opossum range (green)

The big lutrine opossum (Lutreolina crassicaudata),[2] also called little water opossum, thick-tailed opossum and coligrueso, is a long-tailed, otter-like mammal native to grasslands of South America. It generally lives near water and is active at night, dawn or dusk. It eats mice, insects and crabs. Like all opossums, it is a marsupial and carries its young in a pouch.

## Description

[edit]

The big lutrine opossum ("lutrine" means "otter-like" and "crass" meaning "thick, fat" and "cauda" meaning "tail") is a very peculiar opossum, having a long weasel-like body, short legs, small rounded ears, and dense reddish or yellowish fur.[3] Nocturnal and crepuscular, they generally live in grasslands and savannas near water. They are terrestrial but are excellent swimmers and climbers.[4]

## Distribution and habitat

[edit]

The big lutrine opossum is distributed in Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay, Colombia and Guyana. Populations in the two last countries are isolated from the populations of all the other countries. It can be found in grasslands, savanna grassland, and gallery woodlands with permanent water bodies, in marshy or riparian habitats.[5]

## Behavior and ecology

[edit]

Lutreolina crassicaudata skull

The big lutrine opossum builds tight nests made of grass and reeds or utilize abandoned armadillo or viscacha burrows.[5]

### Diet

[edit]

With a skull adapted for carnivory,[5] the big lutrine opossum is carnivorous and insectivorous feeding on small rodents and lagomorphs, birds, insects, small crustaceans.[6] It is considered to be the most carnivorous of all the members of the order Didelphimorphia. It preys on venomous snakes.[4] Captive individuals have been observed eating butterfish mixed with meat, frogs, earthworms, shrimp and mice.[6] Big lutrine opossums living close to urban areas scavenge through garbage, but this behavior is isolated and likely occurs due to necessity because there is less available prey in urban areas.[4]

### Reproduction

[edit]

Breeding begins in September and carries on until April followed by approximately five months of anestrous, or time without estrus. Big lutrine opossums have two breeding periods per year resulting in litters of 7–11 offspring. Like most marsupials, litters are born into a pouch and are fed via lactation until the offspring is developed enough to leave the pouch. Gestation lasts approximately two weeks and young are weaned off mother's milk at around three months. The first litter is born in September and the second in December or January. The offspring from this breeding season reach sexual maturity at six months but do not begin reproducing until the following year.[4] Males are heavier than females indicating sexual dimorphism likely caused by male-male competition for mates.[citation needed]

### Locomotion

[edit]

The big lutrine opossum is quadrupedal and extremely agile. It is primarily terrestrial but also an adept climber and swimmer.[3] Its long body, proportionally short limbs, and no undulation of the vertebral column disqualifies it from being categorized as a specialized semi-aquatic mammal. Although it cannot be classified as a truly specialized mammal, it is a strong swimmer drawing power from the hind limbs as the forelimbs paddle.[5] By employing a variety of gaits its locomotion abilities allows it to run, walk, climb, swim through all the different kinds of obstacles found in the grassy-woodland and marshy areas in which it lives.[5] It can dive and swim with ease, expanding its prey base to aquatic invertebrates.[3]

## Taxonomy

[edit]

* Lutreolina crassicaudata crassicaudata
* Lutreolina crassicaudata paranalis
* Lutreolina crassicaudata turneri

## Evolution

[edit]

Fossils found in Minas Gerais, Brazil indicate that the big lutrine opossum emerged in the late Pleistocene epoch. Lutreolina fossils found in Tarija, Bolivia as well as samples uncovered across Argentina also indicate appearance of lutrine opossum ancestors during the late Pleistocene.[3] For a short time in Argentina, the opossums were hunted for their pelts for fur trade and to line garments, but this market quickly declined because the color of the opossum pelts would fade over time.[3]

Genetic and morphological studies indicate that the population in the Yungas, which was formerly considered a population of L. crassicaudata (with both species being grouped under the common name "lutrine opossum"), is in fact a distinct species, Massoia's lutrine opossum (Lutreolina massoia). As its name suggests, the big lutrine opossum is larger than Massoia's lutrine opossum.[7]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Flores, D.; Martin, G.M. (2016). "Lutreolina crassicaudata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T40503A22175337. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T40503A22175337.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
2. ^ Gardner, A.L. (2005). "Order Didelphimorphia". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 8\. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
3. ^ a b c d e Marshall, Larry G. (6 January 1978). "Lutreolina crassicaudata". The American Society of Mammalogists: Mammalian Species (91): 1–4\. doi:10.2307/3503877. JSTOR 3503877.1-4&rft.date=1978-01-06&rft_id=info:doi/10.2307/3503877&rft_id=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3503877#id-name=JSTOR&rft.aulast=Marshall&rft.aufirst=Larry+G.&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Big+lutrine+opossum" class="Z3988">
4. ^ a b c d Regidor, Héctor A.; Gorostiague, Martín; Sühring, Silvia. "Reproduction and dental age classes of the little water opossum (Lutreolina crassicaudata) in Buenos Aires, Argentina". Revista de Biología Tropical. 47 (1–2): 271–272\. ISSN 0034-7744. Archived from the original on 2015-11-20. Retrieved 2015-11-20.1–2&rft.pages=271-272&rft.issn=0034-7744&rft.aulast=Regidor&rft.aufirst=Héctor+A.&rft.au=Gorostiague,+Martín&rft.au=Sühring,+Silvia&rft_id=http://www.scielo.sa.cr/scielo.php?script=sci_abstract&pid;=S0034-77441999000100028&lng;=en&nrm;=iso&tlng;=en&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Big+lutrine+opossum" class="Z3988">
5. ^ a b c d e Santori, Ricardo Tadeu; Rocha-Barbosa, Oscar; Vieira, Marcus Vinícius; Magnan-Neto, José Aarão; Loguercio, Mariana F. C. (2005). "Locomotion in Aquatic, Terrestrial, and Arboreal Habitat of Thick-Tailed Opossum, Lutreolina crassicaudata (Desmarest, 1804)". Journal of Mammalogy. 86 (5): 902–908\. doi:10.1644/1545-1542(2005)86[902:liataa]2.0.co;2. JSTOR 4094435.902-908&rft.date=2005&rft_id=info:doi/10.1644/1545-1542(2005)86[902:liataa]2.0.co;2&rft_id=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4094435#id-name=JSTOR&rft.aulast=Santori&rft.aufirst=Ricardo+Tadeu&rft.au=Rocha-Barbosa,+Oscar&rft.au=Vieira,+Marcus+Vinícius&rft.au=Magnan-Neto,+José+Aarão&rft.au=Loguercio,+Mariana+F.+C.&rft_id=https://doi.org/10.1644%2F1545-1542%282005%2986%5B902%3Aliataa%5D2.0.co%3B2&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Big+lutrine+opossum" class="Z3988">
6. ^ a b Facure, Kátia Gomes; do Nascimento Ramos, Vanessa (2011-03-01). "Food habits of the thick-tailed opossum Lutreolina crassicaudata (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae) in two urban areas of southeastern Brazil". Mammalian Biology - Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde. 76 (2): 234–236\. Bibcode:2011MamBi..76..234F. doi:10.1016/j.mambio.2010.06.005.234-236&rft.date=2011-03-01&rft_id=info:doi/10.1016/j.mambio.2010.06.005&rft_id=info:bibcode/2011MamBi..76..234F&rft.aulast=Facure&rft.aufirst=Kátia+Gomes&rft.au=do+Nascimento+Ramos,+Vanessa&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Big+lutrine+opossum" class="Z3988">
7. ^ Juan A. Martínez-Lanfranco , David Flores , J. Pablo Jayat , and Guillermo D'Elía, A new species of lutrine opossum, genus Lutreolina Thomas (Didelphidae), from the South American Yungas, Source: Journal of Mammalogy, 95(2):225-240. 2014.

* v
* t
* e

Extant Didelphimorphia (opossums) species

* Kingdom Animalia
* Phylum Chordata
* Class Mammalia
* Infraclass Marsupialia

Subfamily Caluromyinae

| Caluromys
(Woolly opossums)|

Subgenus Caluromys
Bare-tailed woolly opossum (C. philander)

Subgenus Mallodelphys
Derby's woolly opossum (C. derbianus)
Brown-eared woolly opossum (C. lanatus)

|

Caluromysiops|

* Black-shouldered opossum (C. irrupta)

Subfamily Didelphinae (cont. below)

| Chacodelphys|

* Chacoan pygmy opossum (C. formosa)

|

Chironectes|

* Water opossum (C. minimus)

Cryptonanus|

* Agricola's gracile opossum (C. agricolai)
* Chacoan gracile opossum (C. chacoensis)
* Guahiba gracile opossum (C. guahybae)
* Unduavi gracile opossum (C. unduaviensis)

Didelphis
(Large American
opossums)|

* White-eared opossum (D. albiventris)
* Big-eared opossum (D. aurita)
* Guianan white-eared opossum (D. imperfecta)
* Common opossum (D. marsupialis)
* Andean white-eared opossum (D. pernigra)
* Virginia opossum (D. virginiana)

Gracilinanus|

* Aceramarca gracile opossum (G. aceramarcae)
* Agile gracile opossum (G. agilis)
* Wood sprite gracile opossum (G. dryas)
* Emilia's gracile opossum (G. emilae)
* Northern gracile opossum (G. marica)
* Brazilian gracile opossum (G. microtarsus)
* Peruvian opossum (G. peruanus)

Lestodelphys|

* Patagonian opossum (L. halli)

Lutreolina
(Little water opossums)|

* Big lutrine opossum (L. crassicaudata)
* Massoia's lutrine opossum (L. massoia))

Marmosa
(Mouse opossums)|

* Adler's mouse opossum (M. adleri)
* Alston's mouse opossum (M. alstoni)
* Heavy-browed mouse opossum (M. andersoni)
* White-bellied woolly mouse opossum (M. constantiae)
* Woolly mouse opossum (M. demerarae)
* Northwestern mouse opossum (M. germana)
* Isthmian mouse opossum (M. isthmica)
* Jansa's woolly mouse opossum (M. jansae)
* Rufous mouse opossum (M. lepida)
* Quechuan mouse opossum (M. macrotarsus)
* Mexican mouse opossum (M. mexicana)
* Linnaeus's mouse opossum (M. murina)
* Nicaraguan woolly mouse opossum (M. nicaraguae)
* Tate's woolly mouse opossum (M. paraguayanus)
* Peruvian woolly mouse opossum (M. parda)
* Anthony's woolly mouse opossum (M. perplexa)
* Little woolly mouse opossum (M. phaeus)
* Bolivian woolly mouse opossum (M. rapposa)
* Bare-tailed woolly mouse opossum (M. regina)
* Robinson's mouse opossum (M. robinsoni)
* Red mouse opossum (M. rubra)
* Bare-tailed woolly mouse opossum (M. rutteri)
* Simons's woolly mouse opossum (M. simonsi)
* Tyler's mouse opossum (M. tyleriana)
* Waterhouse's mouse opossum (M. waterhousei)
* Guajira mouse opossum (M. xerophila)
* Zeledon's mouse opossum (M. zeledoni)

Marmosops
(Slender opossums)|

* Bishop's slender opossum (M. bishopi)
* Carr's slender opossum (M. carri)
* Cauca slender opossum (M. caucae)
* Cordillera slender opossum (M. chucha)
* Narrow-headed slender opossum (M. cracens)
* Creighton's slender opossum (M. creightoni)
* Dorothy's slender opossum (M. dorothea)
* Dusky slender opossum (M. fuscatus)
* Handley's slender opossum (M. handleyi)
* Tschudi's slender opossum (M. impavidus)
* Gray slender opossum (M. incanus)
* Panama slender opossum (M. invictus)
* Junin slender opossum (M. juninensis)
* Rio Magdalena slender opossum (M. magdalenae)
* Silva's slender opossum (M. marina)
* Neblina slender opossum (M. neblina)
* White-bellied slender opossum (M. noctivagus)
* Spectacled slender opossum (M. ocellatus)
* Ojasti's slender opossum (M. ojastii)
* Pantepui slender opossum (M. pakaraimae)
* Delicate slender opossum (M. parvidens)
* Brazilian slender opossum (M. paulensis)
* Pinheiro's slender opossum (M. pinheiroi)
* Soini's slender opossum (M. soinii)
* Woodall's slender opossum (M. woodalli)

Subfamily Didelphinae (cont. above)

| Metachirus
(Brown four-
eyed opossums)|

* Aritana's brown four-eyed opossum (M. aritanai)
* Common brown four-eyed opossum (M. myosuros)
* Guianan brown four-eyed opossum (M. nudicaudatus)

|

Monodelphis
(Short-tailed
opossums)|

* Sepia short-tailed opossum (M. adusta)
* Northern three-striped opossum (M. americana)
* Arlindo's short-tailed opossum (M. arlindoi)
* Northern red-sided opossum (M. brevicaudata)
* Yellow-sided opossum (M. dimidiata)
* Gray short-tailed opossum (M. domestica)
* Emilia's short-tailed opossum (M. emiliae)
* Gardner's short-tailed opossum (M. gardneri)
* Amazonian red-sided opossum (M. glirina)
* Handley's short-tailed opossum (M. handleyi)
* Ihering's three-striped opossum (M. iheringi)
* Pygmy short-tailed opossum (M. kunsi)
* Osgood's short-tailed opossum (M. osgoodi)
* Hooded red-sided opossum (M. palliolata)
* Peruvian short-tailed opossum (M. peruviana)
* Long-nosed short-tailed opossum (M. pinocchio)
* Reig's opossum (M. reigi)
* Ronald's opossum (M. ronaldi)
* Saci short-tailed opossum (M. saci)
* Santa Rosa short-tailed opossum (M. sanctaerosae)
* Long-nosed short-tailed opossum (M. scalops)
* Touan short-tailed opossum (M. touan)
* One-striped opossum (M. unistriata)
* Voss's short-tailed opossum (M. vossi)

Philander
(Gray & black four-
eyed opossums)|

* Anderson's four-eyed opossum (P. andersoni)
* Common four-eyed opossum (P. canus)
* Deltaic four-eyed opossum (P. deltae)
* Southeastern four-eyed opossum (P. frenatus)
* McIlhenny's four-eyed opossum (P. mcilhennyi)
* Dark four-eyed opossum (P. melanurus)
* Black four-eyed opossum (P. nigratus)
* Mondolfi's four-eyed opossum (P. mondolfii)
* Olrog's four-eyed opossum (P. olrogi)
* Gray four-eyed opossum (P. opossum)
* Pebas four-eyed opossum (P. pebas)
* Southern four-eyed opossum (P. quica)
* Northern four-eyed opossum (P. vossi)

Thylamys
(Fat-tailed mouse
opossums)|

* Cinderella fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. cinderella)
* Elegant fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. elegans)
* Karimi's fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. karimii)
* Paraguayan fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. macrurus)
* White-bellied fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. pallidior)
* Common fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. pusillus)
* Argentine fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. sponsorius)
* Tate's fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. tatei)
* Dwarf fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. velutinus)
* Buff-bellied fat-tailed mouse opossum (T. venustus)

Tlacuatzin
(Grey mouse
opossums)|

* Balsas gray mouse opossum (T. balsasensis)
* Tehuantepec gray mouse opossum (T. canescens)
* Yucatan gray mouse opossum (T. gaumeri)
* Tres Marias gray mouse opossum (T. insularis)
* Northern gray mouse opossum (T. sinaloae)

Subfamily Glironiinae

| Glironia|

* Bushy-tailed opossum (G. venusta)

|

Subfamily Hyladelphinae

| Hyladelphys|

* Kalinowski's mouse opossum (H. kalinowskii)

|

Taxon identifiers

Lutreolina crassicaudata|

* Wikidata: Q1210170
* Wikispecies: Lutreolina crassicaudata
* ADW: Lutreolina_crassicaudata
* CoL: 3WGK7
* EoL: 290122
* GBIF: 2439988
* iNaturalist: 42708
* IRMNG: 11204719
* ITIS: 552544
* IUCN: 40503
* MDD: 1000024
* MSW: 10400067
* NCBI: 38620
* Observation.org: 84449
* Paleobiology Database: 234386
* Xeno-canto: Lutreolina-crassicaudata

Didelphis crassicaudata|

* Wikidata: Q122787883
* GBIF: 9500906
* ZooBank: 5133614C-FCB8-49F5-9580-7C66147A93B9

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